Context: The issue of SYL canal is in the news once again with the chief minister of Punjab warning the Union government that the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue has the potential to disturb nation’s security.

• Punjab is now pushing for a new tribunal on the issue of SYL Canal.
• Punjab now wants a tribunal for fresh time-bound assessment the river water availability.
• The state claims it had a right to Yamuna water, in which it did not get a share at the time of 60:40 division of assets with Haryana during the state’s bifurcation in 1966.
•  According to Punjab there has been no scientific assessment of available Punjab river waters till date.
• As per Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) report, availability of Ravi-Beas water had come down from estimated 17.17 million acre feet (MAF) in 1981 to 13.38 MAF in 2013.
• Haryana, despite being a non-basin state and having a smaller population as well as smaller cultivable area, has total availability of river water at 12.48 MAF as against Punjab’s 12.42 MAF.
• A fresh tribunal is the only way, thus, to ascertain all this and make a fresh appropriate arrangement.
• Trans-basin transfer of water can only be allowed from a surplus state to a deficient state. Punjab being a deficit state can not, therefore be asked to transfer water to Haryana.

The roots of the issue:

• The issue dates back 55 years ago.
• At the time of reorganization of Punjab, the newly formed Haryana wanted its share of water.
• Punjab, at that time, refused to share waters of Ravi and Beas rivers.
• In 1976, centre government allocated 3.5 MAF to Haryana out of Punjab’s share of 7.2 MAF.
• In 1981, The water flowing down Ravi and Beas was estimated to be 17.17 MAF out of which-
  • 4.22 MAF was allocated to Punjab
  • 3.5MAF was allocated to Haryana
  • 8.6 MAF was allocated to Rajasthan

How did things get this worse for Punjab?

• Almost 73% of Punjab’s agriculture land is irrigated by tubewells.
• There are 14 lakh tubewells in the state.
• Punjab’s free power supply scheme has had its own pitfalls in the shape of injudicious pumping out of groundwater by farmers.
• Recently, the chief minister of Punjab warned that a major part of state would turn into a desert by 2029.
• At present, Punjab is facing severe water crisis due to wheat-paddy farming monocycle.
• As per Central Underground Water authority’s report, Punjab’s underground water is being over exploited to meet agricultural requirements.
• According to the report, about 79% area of the state is over exploited.
• Out of 138 blocks, 109 are over exploited, 2 are critical, 5 are semi-critical and only 22 are in safe category.

The current flare-up:

• The government of Punjab is arguing that the terrorism started in the state in 1980s when SYL was being constructed.
• When Indira Gandhi launched the construction of SYL in Kapoori village, an agitation in the form of Kapoori Morcha was launched by Akalis to protest against the proposed sharing of waters.
• In 1985, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then SAD chief Harchand Singh Longowal signed an accord for a new tribunal.
• In retaliation to the said move, Longowal was assassinated a few days after the signing of the accord.
• A few years later, a Chief Engineer and a Superintending Engineer were killed by militants.
• In the light of the above incidents, SYL had been linked with terrorism in the state.
• Punjab government further argues that since the state has used its precious groundwater to grow crops to feed the entire country, it should not be forced to share its waters that too when Punjab itself has become a deficit state.