During a press briefing, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said, “Haryana is currently releasing more than 1,049 cusecs of water to Delhi. We can’t deprive our state of water and give Delhi more than their legitimate share. I promise that the day Punjab gives us our legitimate share, Haryana will increase Delhi’s current water share.”
Lashing out at the Kejriwal govt of Delhi, Khattar said, “the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi should stop petty politics over water, and instead ask its own government in Punjab to release Haryana’s share of 3.5 million acre-foot of Ravi Beas waters by constructing the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.” Though, the AAP has said, “CM Khattar and his government are spreading baseless lies to shift the blame of their wrongdoings on the Delhi government. Haryana’s refusal to provide Delhi with its fair share of water is responsible for the national Capital’s water crisis.”
While Haryana CM Khattar further added that on Feb 29, 1996, the Supreme Court had directed Haryana to provide an additional 330 cusecs of water per day to Delhi. Earlier, Delhi’s share was 719 cusecs per day. “In compliance with these orders, Delhi is being given 1,049 cusecs of water every day. The Delhi government is now lying about the water issue, which is very unfortunate,” he said, on which, the AAP replied, “according to the agreement, the Yamuna river must maintain a water level of 674.5ft but the current level stands at 668ft. The Haryana government must stop playing politics over a resource like water during this scorching heat and release Delhi’s rightful share of water.”
Earlier, when the AAP govt was newly formed, Haryana CM Khattar had said, “the new AAP government of Punjab is now doubly responsible for resolving the SYL issue as Haryana government will have to take water from Punjab and give water to Delhi, which too is ruled by AAP.”
In the past, Punjab had been demanding a reassessment of its share of the water of the Ravi-Beas rivers while Haryana had been seeking completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of water. In 2020, the then CM Capt Amarinder Singh had warned that it was an emotive issue and “Punjab will burn” if asked to share water.
Meanwhile, once again a war of words has started between the AAP- now ruling party in Punjab, and the BJP- the ruling party in Haryana, over the SYL canal issue.
