‘High-handedness’: SC slams Punjab for refusing to comply with order on Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal
The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Punjab government for its “high-handedness” by refusing to follow an order for constructing the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal to resolve its water-sharing row with Haryana, Bar and Bench reported.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih also directed both the Punjab and Haryana governments to cooperate with the Centre and arrive at an “amicable solution” to the row, PTI reported.
The matter would be heard on August 13 if the state governments and the Centre are unable to find a solution, The Hindu reported.
The matter pertained to a suit filed in the court in 1996 by the Haryana government against Punjab in connection with the dispute over the canal, according to Bar and Bench.
In 1981, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana had entered into a water-sharing agreement. As part of this, Punjab and Haryana had to construct their portions of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal within their territories.
The canal is meant to allow Haryana to draw its share of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers, besides distributing water among four other states – Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Haryana constructed the portion of the canal, but Punjab stopped work after the initial phase due to violence surrounding the construction.
In 2002, the court ordered the Punjab government to construct the canal.
However, in...
Read more
News