Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has called a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to discuss the issue of Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal in Chandigarh on December 28. A communication in this regard has been received from the Union Minister on Wednesday, he added.

Talking to reporters, Khattar said, "The SYL is a long pending issue. We are demanding water as per its availability and per our share mandated by the Supreme Court.”  He further said the Central Government is earnestly committed to implementing the Supreme Court's decision in this regard. Emphasizing the distinction between water availability and requirement versus canal construction, he highlighted that the tribunal has to decide on the water share for Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Union Minister Shekhawat to discuss the ongoing SYL issue between Haryana and Punjab, with both Chief Ministers of the states in attendance, the Chief Minister added.

It should be mentioned here that the SYL conflict dates back to the 1981 water-sharing agreement after Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. The apex court on October 4 came down heavily on the Punjab government for its delayed approach towards the construction of the SYL canal. The apex court, in its order, has directed the Centre to look into the mediation process over the dispute and also carry out a survey on Punjab side to see the extent of construction made by the state. In March, the apex court had directed the Centre to play a more active role in the resolution as the main arbitrator in the case.

In July 2020, the court had asked the Chief Ministers of the two states to resolve the issue amicably. The agreement envisages the construction of a 214 km canal of which 122 km is to be constructed in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana.