On Tuesday, advocating the Centre to be wary on the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL), Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh restated the requirement for a tribunal to make new time-water accessibility, even as he wanted a complete share of water for Punjab from the total resource available, covering river Yamuna as well.
During a video conference with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Captain told them, “You have to look at the issue from the national security perspective. If you decide to go ahead with SYL, Punjab will burn and it will become a national problem, with Haryana and Rajasthan also suffering the impact.”
Following this, the CM expressed the meeting as ‘positive and cordial’ and said that the union minister seemed to understand Punjab’s standpoint. Pointing towards Pakistan’s constant stabs to stimulate trouble and to try and revive the separatist movement through the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organization, Captain said, “Punjab remains at risk from all ends.”
The Punjab CM warned that the water issue could more weaken the state. The union minister believed that carriers could be constructed and SYL could also be constructed and kept ready while the dialogues on water sharing carry on and the final thing could be decided later.
Taking the central government’s attention to the melting glaciers, Captain urged the Centre to consider the climate change effects. The CM also cautioned that the condition was likely to worsen with China building dams in their territory, including that this would escalate to water scarcity even in Satluj River.
“Why would I not agree to give water if we had it,” Captain said, stressing that certain areas of south Haryana were part of the erstwhile Patiala estate and he had a love for the state. The Punjab CM also added that it was essential to set up a tribunal for a fair adjudication of the water availability, and stressed out that the water sharing suggested by Eradi Commission was 40 years old, while international customs need an evaluation every 25 years to double-check the status.
