Punjab, Haryana chief ministers hold fresh talks on SYL canal dispute

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini met on Tuesday to discuss the long-pending Sutlej–Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute, a contentious issue that has strained relations between the two neighbouring states for decades.

The talks, held at a hotel and attended by senior officials from both governments, were still underway at the time of reporting. The meeting follows repeated interventions by the Supreme Court, which has urged the states to work with the Centre to find a mutually acceptable resolution.

The SYL canal was conceived to facilitate the sharing of waters from the Ravi and Beas rivers between Punjab and Haryana. The proposed 214-kilometre canal includes a 122-kilometre stretch in Punjab and a 92-kilometre stretch in Haryana. While Haryana has completed construction in its territory, Punjab halted work after launching the project in 1982.

In January 2002, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Haryana in a suit filed in 1996 and directed Punjab to complete its portion of the canal. However, Punjab has consistently maintained that it does not have surplus water to share and has demanded what it terms its rightful allocation under the Indus waters framework.

Haryana, on the other hand, has argued that it has been denied its legitimate share of river water due to the non-completion of the SYL canal. The dispute has remained unresolved despite several rounds of talks and court directives.

Last year, the Supreme Court again stepped in, asking both states to cooperate with the Centre for an amicable settlement, and scheduled the next hearing in the case for April. Following these directions, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil convened meetings between Mann and Saini in July and August to revive dialogue on the issue.

During earlier discussions, Mann proposed scrapping the SYL canal altogether, arguing that the Sutlej river has effectively dried up. He suggested alternative solutions, including the use of Chenab river water or the construction of a Yamuna–Sutlej Link (YSL) canal, and described the SYL issue as deeply emotive for Punjab.

Tuesday’s meeting is seen as another attempt to break the deadlock, though significant differences between the two states’ positions remain.

With PTI input