Two-and-a-half months after Punjab and Haryana chief ministers failed to reach a consensus over the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue, Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has called both for a meeting on the issue on January 4. Both Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had met on October 15 at Khattar’s Haryana Niwas. The meeting remained inconclusive with Mann saying his state does not have “a single drop of water to share” and his counterpart Khattar later stating that it was his “final meeting” over the issue. Khattar had stated that he would brief Shekhawat but not take any more initiative to organise a meeting He had stated if the Centre wants to mediate and resolve the issue then they can do it. Sources said that Shekhawat had now called a meeting after checking availability of both the chief ministers. Mann, who is on a three day holiday to Rajasthan would be back in Punjab on Saturday. The state government is now preparing to take its case to the union minister. The meeting between Mann and Khattar was initiated after Supreme Court nudged both the states to sit together and sort the issue. While Khattar wanted the SYL construction completed, Mann had categorically stated that the question of discussion on the issue if construction did not arise as the state did not have a single drop to share. With both the states sticking to their stand, the ball is now in the court of Shekhwat. However, sources said, the Punjab CM was in no mood to relent as the state was going towards desertification. Punjab has been seeking a fresh tribal for reassessment of water available with it and Haryana has been seeking its share. Punjab has been maintaining that the quantum of water flowing through Ravi and Beas rivers had come down considerably, and therefore, it is seeking reassessment of the water’s volume. Haryana has been seeking completion of the canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) water, and also that Punjab should comply with the 2002 and 2004 Supreme Court orders for the completion of the canal. Currently, Haryana is getting 1.62 MAF of the Ravi-Beas water. The SYL canal was concpetualised for effective allocation of water from Ravi and Beas rivers. The project envisaged a 214-km canal, of which 122 km was to be in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. Haryana has completed the construction project in its territory. Though Punjab took up the work in 1982, it was later shelved following widespread protests. Mann said despite being the “younger brother”, Haryana was getting more water than Punjab. According to Mann, Punjab gets 4.22 MAF water from Ravi and Beas, while Haryana receives 3.50 MAF water. From Sutlej, Punjab gets 8.02 MAF while Haryana receives 4.33 MAF water. Further, Punjab has been claiming that it does not get any water from Yamuna while Haryana gets 4.65 MAF and it also gets 1.62 MAF water from the Sharda Yamuna link. In all, Punjab gets 12.24 MAF water while Haryana gets 14.10 MAF water, the state has been claiming.
