SYL Full Form Dispute and a Detailed Analysis
SYL is a canal, and the full form of this canal is the Sutlej-Yamuna Link. This is a 214 km long canal. The purpose of making this canal is to share the water between Haryana and Punjab. This is the oldest and most contentious water-sharing dispute in India. SYL Full Form in hindi is सतलुज-यमुना लिंक है।
Full Form of SYL History and Dispute Reason
full form of SYL is Sutlej-Yamuna Link When India gained independence in 1947, India faced a state formation problem, so the State Reorganization Commission was formed on December 22, 1953. but in 1955 water sharing of the Beas, Ravi, and Satluj rivers was divided between the states like this: 8 MAF to Rajasthan, 7.20 MAF to undivided Punjab (Haryana was part of Punjab at that time), and 0.65 MAF to Jammu and Kashmir. On November 1, 1966, Haryana and Punjab separated, and they became two different states of India.
From here the problem was water sharing. The government of India issued a notification in March 1976 that the 3.5 MAF of water would be given to the Haryana state. There was a need to build a 214-kilometer-long canal. Haryana, on its part, built a 90 km long canal very quickly because they were in great need of water, but Punjab could not build a 124 km long canal. Because Punjab wants it, they will not give a drop of water to Haryana. Central government interference in this issue in 1981 and an agreement was made between Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
SYL Canal Project
Then the SYL Canal project was started in 1982. The PM, Indira Gandhi, established the foundation stone of the SYL Canal link in Patiala on 8 April 1982 at 9 am. However, after the foundation, SAD (Shiromani Akali Dal) was not happy with it; they started agitation against this canal under the leadership of Harchand Singh Logowal. And after some time this agitation converted into a holy war. This is the time when Sikh militancy is at its peak. Our prime minister, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated at 9:30 AM on 31 October 1984. The Blue Star Operation happened, and many people died during this agitation. 35 labourers and two engineers working in this canal were also killed by the Sikh militant.
Timeline of Key Events of Sutlej-Yamuna Link
1982: Indira Gandhi inaugurated the construction of the SYL Canal in Patiala.
1996: Haryana filed a case in the Supreme Court pursuing the completion of the canal.
2004: The Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act to nullify previous water-sharing agreements.
2016: The Supreme Court declared Punjab’s termination act unconstitutional, intensifying the dispute.
Current Situation of SYL
The current situation of SYL is the same: no result was found. The canal remains a legal issue between Punjab and Haryana. The Supreme Court recently took an important step on this problem: it has directed both states to engage in discussions facilitated by the central government to report progress by December 28, 2024.