Please don't resurrect the SYL Canal ghost
SYL Canal is dead, for all intents and purposes. The proposal of SYL-2 Canal, directly carrying Sutlej waters from from Himachal Pradesh to Haryana, is fraught with grave risk.
SYL-2 Canal proposal should be aborted forthwith: The very conception of the proposed SYL-2 Canal, to take the Sutlej waters directly from Himachal Pradesh to Haryana, needs to be nipped in the bud. Himachal Pradesh has no right to divert the Sutlej waters for consumptive use by Haryana.
Not only is it unconstitutional and illegal, it is also a political dynamite which cannot but trigger a huge agitation in Punjab.
All the political parties of Punjab must oppose this tooth and nail. There cannot be any equivocation or middle ground on this issue.
It was with great difficulty that Punjab was able to thwart Haryana from getting SYL completed in the year 2016, after the Supreme Court ruled in its favour. Am also sharing the link to an old video that I had recorded on the subject-- in Punjabi, it gives a good background of the entire River Waters dispute.
Shall look forward to your comments and views.
This is a work-in-progress. You may hear more about it from me in near future.
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KBS Sidhu. The Author is an IAS officer of 1984 Batch of Punjab cadre, and retired from service in July 2021, as Special Chief Secretary, Punjab, after 37 years of service.
He can be reached on kbs.sidhu@gmail.com or @kbssidhu1961 or https://www.facebook.com/kbs.sidhu