Khattar and Mann to discuss SYL canal: What is the water-sharing issue simmering for decades

The Supreme Court in its directive last month had asked Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to meet with his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, for an amicable solution to the SYL issue.

Haryana had told the apex court that Punjab CMs have been reluctant in holding meetings with Haryana. It had also stated that the Haryana CM had written a letter to new CM Mann in April this year, but received no response.

The SYL issue

The issue dates back to 1966, from the time of reorganisation of Punjab. When Haryana was formed, a need arose to share river waters with the newly formed state. But Punjab was opposed to sharing the waters of Ravi and Beas with Haryana, citing the riparian principle. The riparian principle says that the state through which a river passes has the right to its waters.

Punjab’s claim

A decade before the formation of Haryana, the water flowing down Ravi and Beas was assessed at 15.85 million acre feet (MAF). The Union government had organised a meeting in 1955 between the three stake-holders — Rajasthan, undivided Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

While Rajasthan was allotted 8 MAF, undivided Punjab’s share was 7.20 MAF and J&K got 0.65 MAF. A decade after reorganisation, the Centre issued a notification allocating 3.5 MAF to Haryana out of Punjab’s 7.2 MAF.
In a reassessment in 1981, the water flowing down Beas and Ravi was pegged at 17.17 MAF, out of which 4.22 MAF was allocated to Punjab, 3.5 MAF to Haryana, and 8.6 MAF to Rajasthan.

The SYL canal project

On April 8, 1982, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal with a ceremony in Kapoori village of Patiala district.

The canal to link the two rivers was to stretch across 214 km — 122 km in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. However, the Akali Dal launched an agitation against the canal in the form of the Kapoori Morcha. In July 1985, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then Akali Dal chief Sant Harchand Singh Longowal signed an accord agreeing for a new tribunal to assess the water.

Eradi Tribunal

The Eradi Tribunal headed by Supreme Court Judge V Balakrishna Eradi was set up to reassess availability and sharing of water. The Tribunal, in 1987, recommended an increase in the shares of Punjab and Haryana to 5 MAF and 3.83 MAF, respectively.

SYL and violence in Punjab

On August 20, 1985, less than a month after the accord, Longowal was killed by militants for signing it. In 1990, chief engineer M L Sekhri and Superintending Engineer Avtar Singh Aulakh were killed by militants. In two different incidents, labourers were shot dead in Majat village near Chunni and Bharatgarh near Ropar. The construction then came to a halt, with Punjab leaders cautioning the Centre against it.

Water crisis

As per a government study, many areas in Punjab may go dry after 2029. The state has already over-exploited its groundwater for irrigation by growing wheat and paddy worth Rs 70,000 crore every year. As per the report, water in about 79 per cent area of the state is over-exploited. Out of 138 blocks, 109 blocks are “over-exploited”, two blocks are “critical” while five blocks are “semi-critical” and only 22 blocks are in “safe” category. In such a situation, with alarms ringing over the need to save water, the government says sharing it with any other state is impossible.

Haryana’s reasons

Haryana has been staking claim on Ravi-Beas waters through the SYL canal on the plea that providing water for irrigation is a tough task for the state. In southern parts, where the underground water has depleted up to 1700 feet, there is a problem of drinking water.

Road ahead

It is learnt that Punjab is preparing to stick to its stand and seek a fresh tribunal. “We will be attending the meeting but Punjab is already going towards desertification. It cannot afford to give away any water. Also, when the world follows the riparian principle, why should Punjab and Haryana not,” a source in the government said.