The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the
governments of Punjab and Haryana to cooperate with the Centre to resolve the
Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George
Masih was informed by the Centre that it has already taken effective steps to
resolve the issue amicably.
"We direct both the states to cooperate with
the Union of India in arriving at an amicable solution," the bench said.
The bench said it would hear the matter on August 13
if it is not resolved by then.
"We have made efforts for mediation, but the
states have to walk the talk," Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya
Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the bench.
The SYL canal was conceptualised for the effective
allocation of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. The project envisaged a
214-km canal, of which 122 km was to be constructed in Punjab and 92 km in
Haryana.
Haryana has completed the project in its territory,
but Punjab, which launched the construction work in 1982, later shelved it.
The dispute between the two states has been
lingering on for decades.
The top court had on January 15, 2002, ruled in
favour of Haryana in a suit filed by it in 1996 and directed the Punjab
government to construct its portion of the SYL canal.