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Sutlej-Yamuna Canal
The issue is back in 14 years after the Punjab Assembly passed Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 to avoid the completion of the canal in its territory.
After completion of nearly 90 per cent of the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal in Haryana and only 10% of the works are left on its side, the Prakash Singh Badal government in Punjab has rejected the demands of the Haryana government and seeks to give back the lands acquired from the farmers for the canal. Conceived in 1986, the canal is expected to cost Rs 650 crore.
The issue is back in 14 years after the Punjab Assembly passed Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 to avoid the completion of the canal in its territory. In 2004, Haryana moved the Supreme Court and the matter came up for hearing only this month, and hence more stubborn nature of Badal government in view of the elections next year.
The Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to complete construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Haryana says it is deprived of its share of the waters of the Ravi-Beas due to non-construction of the SYL canal, as per the Eradi Commission Award in 1987. The foundation stone was laid on April 8, 1982, by Indira Gandhi at Kapoori village in Patiala district. Designed to carry 10,500 cusecs of water, the canal was to carry 6,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.
However, Punjab legislature passed the Punjab Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (Rehabilitation and Re-vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill 2016, against the agreement and the government even returned the cheque issued by Haryana earlier.
The apex court again in an interim order in third week this month appointed Union Home Secretary and Punjab’s Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police (DGP) as the ‘joint receiver’ of land and other property meant for the SYL canal till the next date of hearing on March 31, 2016. SYL is being built westwards from near its headwaters through the Punjab region near an ancient caravan route and highlands pass to the navigable parts of the Sutlej-Indus watershed.
This will connect the entire Ganges. It is claimed that when completed, the SYL will allow shipping from India's east coast to the west coast and the Arabian sea, drastically shortening shipping distances and creating important commercial links for north-central India's large population. It is important to note that in India, the total cargo moved (in tonne kilometres) by the inland waterway is just 0.1% of the total inland traffic.
