📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
Former Haryana CM Hooda urges current CM to raise SYL canal dispute with Punjab
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 03 Oct 2026, 10:38 AM
👁 12
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has called on the incumbent CM to bring up the long‑standing Sutlej‑Yamuna Link canal dispute in Punjab.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda publicly appealed to the sitting chief minister to raise the Sutlej‑Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue during discussions with Punjab officials. Hooda, speaking at a press conference, said the water‑sharing dispute remains a critical concern for Haryana's farmers and should not be sidelined.
The SYL canal, envisioned to divert water from Punjab's Sutlej River to Haryana's Yamuna basin, has been stalled for decades due to legal battles and political opposition from Punjab. Both states have repeatedly sought a resolution, but the matter has resurfaced amid broader water‑resource negotiations.
Hooda warned that delaying the dialogue could exacerbate agrarian distress in Haryana and urged the current CM to use any inter‑state platform to push for a mutually acceptable solution. Political analysts note that the statement may add pressure on the state government ahead of upcoming elections.
No immediate response from the incumbent chief minister was recorded at the time of reporting, and officials in both states indicated that formal talks on the SYL issue are scheduled later this year.
The SYL canal, envisioned to divert water from Punjab's Sutlej River to Haryana's Yamuna basin, has been stalled for decades due to legal battles and political opposition from Punjab. Both states have repeatedly sought a resolution, but the matter has resurfaced amid broader water‑resource negotiations.
Hooda warned that delaying the dialogue could exacerbate agrarian distress in Haryana and urged the current CM to use any inter‑state platform to push for a mutually acceptable solution. Political analysts note that the statement may add pressure on the state government ahead of upcoming elections.
No immediate response from the incumbent chief minister was recorded at the time of reporting, and officials in both states indicated that formal talks on the SYL issue are scheduled later this year.