UPSC Articles
Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal Project
Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-I – Water Resources & GS-II – Inter-State Relations; Dispute Redressal Mechanisms
In News:
- Recently, Center’s proposal to proceed with Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal Project may cause political unrest in Punjab.
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Key takeaways
- The dispute can be traced back to the Indus Water Treaty (1960) between India and Pakistan.
- It allowed India free and unrestricted use of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
- 1966: Creation of Haryana from the old (undivided) Punjab threw up the problem of giving Haryana its share of river waters.
- Recently, SC has directed the Chief Ministers of both states to negotiate and settle the SYL canal issue at the highest political level to be mediated by the Centre.
- However, Punjab has asked for a tribunal for fresh time-bound assessment of the water availability.
- Punjab is unwilling to share water because it is facing severe water crisis due to over-exploitation of its underground aquifers for the wheat/paddy monocycle.
