Impassioned Dispute: Punjab and Haryana's Decades-Old SYL Canal Conflict

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana's Nayab Singh Saini plan discussions on resolving the SYL canal dispute. The ongoing conflict over water sharing from the Ravi and Beas rivers has persisted for years, despite Supreme Court intervention favoring Haryana. Punjab insists it lacks surplus water to share.

The Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute, a contentious issue between Punjab and Haryana, is set for another round of discussions as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini meet on January 27. Senior officials from both governments will also attend the meeting, aiming for a resolution to a matter that has simmered for decades.

The canal, conceptualized to facilitate water sharing from the Ravi and Beas rivers, has become a focal point of regional tension. Out of the planned 214 kilometers, Haryana has completed its share of the canal, while Punjab halted construction which began in 1982. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Haryana in 2002, reinforcing its claim to river waters, yet the project has not progressed as Punjab argued against having surplus water.

Efforts to mediate have been numerous, with Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C R Patil, convening meetings between the states. In a bid to reshape the dialogue, Mann proposed utilizing the Chenab River or creating a Yamuna Sutlej Link (YSL) canal, suggesting that Punjab should receive water from the Ganga and Yamuna, given the Sutlej's depletion. This controversial proposition underscores the gravity and complexity of water politics between the two states.

(With inputs from agencies.)