TROUBLE FOR MANN

THE OPPOSITION FEELS THAT BHAGWANT MANN’S LAW OFFICERS SHOULD HAVE CONVINCED THE SC BENCH TO REVIEW THE WATER SITUATION IN PUNJAB INSTEAD OF OPENING A WINDOW FOR A FRESH SURVEY THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ADVERSE RULING

- Anilesh S. Mahajan

The emotive issue of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal has once again taken political centre-stage in Punjab after the Supreme Court on October 4 pulled up the state government for dilly-dallying on its construction and directed the Union government to survey the portion of the land allocated to the project in the riparian state.

The Centre has been categorically told to keep in mind the apex court’s 2002 decree, which mandated that Punjab should honour its commitments on water-sharing with Haryana. It was also directed to verify Punjab’s assertion that it doesn’t have sufficient water to spare for the neighbouring state. Even as the top court posted the matter for further hearing in January 2024, its observations and directions triggered statewide protests in Punjab, with farmers’ unions, social organisations and political parties up in arms.