Union govt must look at SYL Canal issue from national security perspective: Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh

The Union government has to look at the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue from the national security perspective. If the Central government decides to go ahead with the SYL, Punjab will burn and it will become a national problem, with Haryana and Rajasthan also suffering the impact, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder said on Tuesday during a video conference with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Urging the Central government to be cautious on the SYL issue, which had the potential to disturb the nation’s security, Capt. Amarinder Singh also reiterated the need for a Tribunal to make a fresh time-bound assessment of the water availability, even as he sought complete share of water for his state from the total resource available, including from river Yamuna.

The Chief Minister described the meeting as ‘positive and cordial’ and said the Union Minister seemed to understand Punjab’s viewpoint.

Punjab remains at risk from all ends, said Capt. Amarinder Singh, pointing to Pakistan’s continued attempts to foment trouble and to try

and revive the separatist movement through the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation. The water issue could further destabilise the state, he warned.

Punjab had a right to Yamuna water, in which it did not get a share (at the time of 60:40 division of assets with Haryana) during the state’s division in 1966, the Chief Minister said, and expressed his willingness to sit across the table with his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss the ‘emotive’ issue. He also suggested that Rajasthan be involved in discussions on the SYL Canal/Ravi-Beas waters issue as it was also a stakeholder.

It was decided during the meeting that the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana will meet in Chandigarh, on a date to be fixed later, for further talks on the issue, and then speak to the Union Minister again.

Putting forth Punjab’s stand, Capt. Amarinder Singh said it was necessary to set up a Tribunal for fair adjudication of the water availability, and pointed out that the water sharing proposed by Eradi Commission was 40 years old, while international norms require a review every 25 years to ascertain the status.

Noting that there had, in fact, been no adjudication or scientific assessment of available Punjab river waters till date, the Chief Minister said that Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had reported that availability of Ravi-Beas water had come down from the estimated 17.17 MAF in 1981 to 13.38 MAF in 2013.

Despite being a non-basin state and having a smaller population as well as lesser cultivated land area, Haryana’s total availability of river water stood at 12.48 MAF as against Punjab’s 12.42 MAF, he noted. He pointed out that trans-basin transfer of water can only be allowed from a surplus basis to a deficit basis, and, as of today, Punjab is a deficit state and could not therefore be asked to transfer water to Haryana.

Capt Amarinder Singh said he had taken a concerted decision to terminate all water agreements back in 2004 to save Punjab from burning, amid reports that violence could erupt in the state in protest. The situation had aggravated since then, he said, adding that 109 of the state’s 128 blocks had officially been declared ‘dark zones’.

Pointing to the melting glaciers, he urged the Central government to take the climate change effects into account. The situation was likely to worsen with China constructing dams in their territory, he warned, adding that this would lead to water shortage even in Sutlej river.

“Why would I not agree to give water if we had it,” he said, adding that certain areas of south Haryana were in fact part of the erstwhile Patiala estate and he personally had special love for the region.

The Chief Minister recalled that he had suggested construction of water storage dams in Himachal Pradesh for collecting water so that the flow of water into Pakistan could be checked. He urged the Union Minister to consider the suggestion.