Delhi, 6 May (H.S.): On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih heard a 1996 case filed by Haryana against Punjab regarding the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute. Despite two court directives to Punjab to construct the canal, the matter remains unresolved.

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, representing Haryana, emphasized that the canal’s construction should proceed since there are no ongoing impediments. He highlighted failures in efforts for settlement, stating that water hasn’t been released as mandated.

Advocate General Gurminder Singh for Punjab noted that the issue of Haryana’s entitlement to additional water is pending before a tribunal. Divan asserted that the dispute goes beyond water allocation, citing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s refusal to cooperate post-negotiation attempts. Mann argued on May 6 that Haryana exceeded its water quota. Justice Gavai

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar