SYL canal row: No end to deadlock after 3rd CMs’ meet, SC hearing on Jan 4

The deadlock between States of Punjab and Haryana continued over the contentious issue of SYL canal and sharing of water in the third meeting this year between the two CMs chaired by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Both the Bhagwant Mann and Manohar Lal Khattar reiterated their respective stands in the meeting that lasted for nearly 90 minutes at a five-star hotel in Chandigarh.

While Khattar emphasised that Punjab should implement the Supreme Court’s verdict and construct the remaining portion of SYL canal in its jurisdiction and should not mix the issue of water-sharing and construction of canal, Mann said that Punjab has “no surplus water to share” and “when there is no water to share, there was no meaning of constructing the canal”.

Both the States shall now apprise the Supreme Court of their respective stands on January 4.

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Both BJP leaders – Shekhawat and Khattar held another round of talks after Mann left the venue.

“Baat Manohar mahaul mein hui, lekin Mann hai ke maanta nahi” (The discussion was held in a cordial atmosphere, but [Bhagwant] Mann doesn’t agree”, said Khattar.

Mann said, “I told him [Shekhawat] that Sutlej has been reduced to a trickle. We are firm on our stand. I told him that Punjab needs 52 million acre feet (MAF) of water but we are getting only 14.5 MAF.”