NEW DELHI, July 9 — At the high-level meet convened by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann urged the Centre to explore diverting waters from the western rivers — particularly the Chenab — towards Punjab and Haryana as a long-term resolution to the protracted Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute.
The meeting was held in line with the Supreme Court’s directive to mediate a solution between Punjab and Haryana, with the next hearing scheduled for August 13. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present at the discussion.
“The Union Minister and the Haryana CM both responded positively to the proposal. Why should we keep bleeding while the waters of our rivers go to Pakistan? Are we to fight Haryana or Pakistan?” Mann said after the meeting, referencing the suspended Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
Mann proposed that around 23 million acre-feet (MAF) of water from the Chenab river — currently flowing to Pakistan — could be redirected to meet the needs of Punjab and Haryana, potentially even Madhya Pradesh.
“We are locked in dispute over a few million acre-feet. If we access 23 MAF from Chenab, it could permanently resolve the issue,” he added.
Sources in the Ministry of Jal Shakti said the Centre has taken note of Mann’s suggestion and may consider conducting feasibility studies on the diversion of water from the western tributaries of the Indus — Chenab and Jhelum — towards northern states.
The chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana are expected to reconvene with Minister Paatil on August 5 to draft a joint statement for submission to the Supreme Court.
Mann also raised concerns over the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), accusing it of monopolising Punjab’s water share. “I have conveyed our strong objection to the way BBMB is functioning. It’s high time our rights are respected,” he said.
