:dateline:Reiterating that the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal was planned against universally accepted riparian principles with an eye on looting the scarce water resources of Punjab, the Dal Khalsa said the digging of SYL was next to impossible and that the people of Punjab would not allow this to happen.
The organization categorically stated that Punjab owns the waters of the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas and no legislation or court could deprive the state of its legitimate right of ownership.
Party spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the ghost of the SYL canal has cropped up again to haunt the people of Punjab. “We will defend the rights of the state at any cost,” he added.
“We won’t allow the Centre to further rob or take away the waters forcefully with state�s might and if it happens, we have a right to resist and fight back,” he maintained.�
Disagreeing with the Punjab Chief Minister on the need for a fresh tribunal to make a fresh time-bound assessment of water availability, he said instead of opting for delaying tactics Captain Amrinder Singh should address the water problem of the state strictly based on riparian principle. ��
However, he supported Amrinder Singh�s assessment that the SYL issue has the potential to trigger the revival of armed rebellion in the state.
�Khalistani militants have laid down their lives and suffered imprisonment for years for defending the waters. We won’t let their sacrifices go in vain,� said he.
Dal Khalsa blamed the executive and the judiciary for muddling the Punjab river waters issue and vowed not to allow the construction of SYL at any cost.
He further added that the people of Punjab, particularly the agriculture community, was worried that despite the tall claims of politicians of all shades, more than 50 per cent (19 out of the 35 MAF) of Punjab�s water flows to other non-riparian states.�Presently, Haryana is getting 7.8 million acre-feet (MAF), Delhi 0.2 MAF, J&K 0.7 MAF and Rajasthan 10.5 MAF from Punjab.
Suggesting the measures to address the water problem, he said the entire case of Punjab river waters should be handed over to World Bank, clause 5 of Punjab�s Termination of Agreement�s Act 2004 to be abrogated and royalty should be demanded from non-riparian states especially Rajasthan and Delhi for using state�s water till date.�
