Recent meeting between Chief Ministers Haryana and Punjab for construction of SYL canal failed to resolve long pending issue since Punjab Chief Minister repeated old dialogues that Punjab government is not in a position to spare even a single drop of SYL canal water to Haryana as taught by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal Chief Minister Delhi. Haryana Home & Health Minister Anil Vij expressing surprise said that Kejriwal claims himself as son of Haryana and at the same time not only exhibiting step attitude towards Haryana state but also violating Supreme Court of India directions which is a cruel joke on farmers of Haryana. VIj said, the aim of meeting between chief ministers of both states was related to construction of SYL canal but Punjab Chief Minister Punjab continued repeating the dialogues as taught by Kejriwal.
Information reveals, farmers in Haryana state are suffering financial loss worth Rs Rs 19500 crore every year in the absence of irrigation in nearly 10 lakh crore acre land due to shortage of their share of SYL canal water causing less production of about 42 lakh ton food crops every year since Punjab and Rajasthan are using nearly 2600 cusec water of Haryana share capable to irrigate nearly 10.08 lakh acre land remains dry not only due to water but also water level in underground in most of area in Haryana fast declining and farmers have to spend huge amount on electricity to lift underground water with the help of tube wells or bear heavy diesel cost.
Past scenario reveals, according to an agreement on 18th November 1976 Punjab government took rupee one crore from Haryana to complete construction of SYL canal in about a year but kept on lingering on matter for one reason or other when Haryana government knocked at Supreme Court of India as regard construction of canal which was challenged by Punjab government on 11th July 1979 under section 78 of reconsideration Act in the court. In year 1981 an agreement was made between both governments in the presence of then Prime Minister Late Smt Indira Gandhi and construction of SYL canal started in 1982 when Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab opposed the same in an agitation when Rajiv-Longowal agreement was made in 1985 in which then Punjab government agreed upon the proposal and construction work started but in the meanwhile two engineers involved in construction work were killed under mysterious circumstances in July 1990 and then Chief Minister Haryana Hukam Singh demanded from government in centre permission to construct the river in 1996 but to no result. However, with the involvement of court Punjab government started work to construct 121 km canal in 2016.
Supreme Court of India took decision in favour of Haryana government and directed Punjab government to complete construction of river in 2019 but the same remained unimplemented by Punjab government and now Supreme Court of India has served a notice to both Punjab and Haryana governments to solve the issue mutually at an early.
