Punjab, Haryana not agreeing to middle path on SYL: Centre

WATER MINISTER SHEKHAWAT SAID THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HAS APPRISED THE SUPREME COURT ABOUT THE TALKS WITH THE TWO STATES

NEW DELHI : Punjab and Haryana are not ready to find a middle path to resolve the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal issue and the decision has been conveyed to the Supreme Court, the Centre on Monday informed Rajya Sabha.

Replying to supplementaries during the question hour, minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the SYL issue is pending before the Supreme Court and “we have written back to the court”. “The Supreme Court had given directions to the central government to find a middle path to resolve the SYL canal issue by talking to both Punjab and Haryana.

“The Centre has talked to Punjab and Haryana and both the states are not willing to find a middle path to resolve this issue,” he told the House.

Shekhawat said the central government has apprised the Supreme Court about the talks with the two states and conveyed the decision to it in a written reply.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had given directions to both Punjab and Haryana to resolve the SYL issue. The matter has been pending for many decades as Punjab is not willing to share any of its waters with neighbouring Haryana.

The court had earlier directed construction of a SYL canal to link the waters of Sutlej river with Yamuna river for transfer of water to Haryana, especially southern part of the state.