As the Chief Ministers of both Punjab and Haryana, Bhagwant Mann and Manohar Lal Khattar, came face-to-face to discuss the contentious Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue — a bone of conflict between the two neighbouring states — on Friday, the two-hour-long meeting between the two remained inconclusive.
Even as Haryana Chief Minister Khattar prevailed upon his Punjab counterpart to first complete the SYL canal’s construction, Mann categorically made it clear that Punjab has no drop of water to share, while asserting that water availability should be assessed afresh.
At the same time, Mann suggested to Khattar that they should together take the matter with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to resolve the matter by making arrangements of water for Haryana.
Mann, addressing the media after the meeting, said that the SYL agreement, signed in 1981, cannot be implemented after 42 years as the groundwater level in Punjab has declined. “Earlier, Punjab had 4.22 million acre feet (MAF) water, and now, a total of 12.24 MAF is left; while Haryana has 14.10 MAF water from various sources, including its those rivers which are not even accounted for,” he said.
Mann outrightly rejected Haryana Government’s proposal to start SYL canal’s construction and categorically asserted that there was no question of initiating the construction work, as the state does not have even a single drop of water to share with Haryana.
“At the time when agreement for the canal was inked, Punjab was getting 18.56 MAF of water which has been now reduced to 12.63 MAF, presently, so we don’t have any surplus water to share with any state,” he said, highlighting that Punjab’s water has gone down to 600 feet.
Mann further said that in case Haryana really needs water, “I am ready to go with Haryana Chief Minister to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for solving the issue”.
“If the Prime Minister wants to give anything to Haryana, he should make arrangements from the Yamuna or elsewhere. We do not have a drop. We have no enmity with Haryana, but when we do not have water, how can we give it? I told him that we should go to the Prime Minister together. The PM rules the entire country. We both Chief Ministers should go to him. I will tell him that Haryana could get water from the Yamuna or the Sharda. We cannot call Satluj and Beas rivers now, these two have turned into just drains. There is no water,” he said.
“Before the Prime Minister, we will reiterate our stand that Punjab does not even have a single drop of water to share with Haryana…Rather Punjab and Haryana should forcefully plead the case of water sharing from Ganga and Yamuna before the Prime Minister,” he said.
Asserting that the Centre would decide what is to be done on the issue, Mann said: “We categorically told him that we will not construct the SYL. The land has been denotified; and at some places, the land has been reclaimed by the residents.”
“I have told Khattar that all agreements on water have a clause that every 25 years these should be revised…I had told him that the water should be assessed first and such an assessment would reveal that Punjab need more water and should be given more water from Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
Responding to Khattar’s remark that Mann attended the meeting with a “negative” mind, Punjab Chief Minister said: “It’s just that I put forth Punjab’s case strongly. That is why he is saying that.”
NO CONSENSUS REACHED, SAYS KHATTAR
Talking to reporters later, Manohar Lal Khattar said that as directed by the Supreme Court the meeting was held with the Punjab Chief Minister but both States reached no consensus on the construction of the SYL canal.
The Supreme Court has asked for the construction of SYL, with which Punjab has disagreed. The construction of SYL is the lifeline for Haryana, said the chief minister adding that now he will be holding a meeting with the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to brief him about this meeting.
Khattar said that earlier also a tribunal was formed to resolve the water issue, after that a new tribunal of three judges was again formed and as per the tribunal’s decision, the construction of SYL is necessary.
He said that apart from SYL, some other key issues were discussed with the Punjab Chief Minister. A committee of officials of the Irrigation Department of both states has been formed to clean the Ghaggar River. Along with the Chief Ministers, the top administrative wing of both States remained present during the meeting.
BOX: PUNJAB’s STAND
· Punjab does not have even a single drop of water to share with any other state
· No question of construct SYL canal
· Haryana getting more river water than Punjab
· Punjab and Haryana CMs should meet PM for share in waters from Ganga and Yamuna
· SYL canal will never turn into a reality, says Mann