Supreme Court directs Punjab, Haryana to cooperate with Centre on SYL canal dispute

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the governments of Punjab and Haryana to cooperate with the Centre in resolving the long-standing Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih was informed by the Centre that it has already taken effective steps to address the issue amicably. “We direct both the states to cooperate with the Centre to arrive at an amicable solution,” the bench said.

The court added that it would hear the matter again on August 13 if no resolution is reached by then.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the court that mediation efforts had been made. “We have made efforts for mediation, but the states have to go by the Centre’s proposal,” she said.

The SYL canal was originally conceived to ensure equitable distribution of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers between Punjab and Haryana.