The 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council presided over by Union Home Minister Amit Shah witnessed a series of demands and concerns raised by various states with Himachal Pradesh demanding a special relief package worth Rs 12,000 crore to aid the state’s recovery. Haryana and Punjab addressed the row over the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link with CM Bhagwant Mann putting forth his state’s claim to Chandigarh. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena expressed concerns over air pollution in the national capital.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made a fervent plea for a special relief package worth Rs 12,000 crore to aid his state’s recovery from a catastrophic disaster. The region has recently endured one of the most severe calamities in its history, with 450 lives lost and 13,000 homes damaged due to heavy rains, news agency PTI reported. Sukhu also called for amendments to disaster relief fund norms at national and state levels, especially concerning hilly states like Himachal, with unique topographies.
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Haryana Govt Raises SYL Row, Punjab CM Says Sutlej River Dried Up
The Haryana Government voiced concerns about the equitable distribution of water resources between Haryana and Punjab, news agency ANI reported.
“Punjab government is continuously misleading on the construction of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL). They are continuously saying that the availability of water has reduced, but the construction of the canal and the availability of water are two different issues,” the Haryana Government said, as quoted by ANI.
CM ML Khattar also demanded the completion of the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) canal in the Punjab region.
On the other hand, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann raised several issues, including the demand for Chandigarh to be returned to Punjab from its current status as a Union Territory. Mann emphasised that Chandigarh was initially designated as Punjab’s capital city in 1953 and argued that its status quo as a Union Territory since 1966 was unjust, as per PTI.
Additionally, he opposed the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, citing potential law and order concerns. Mann presented a stand against affiliating Haryana colleges with Panjab University, Himachal Pradesh’s imposition of water cess on hydropower projects, and Rajasthan’s bid to join the Bhakra Beas Management Board.
On the issue of water sharing, he asserted that Punjab has no surplus water to share with other states and proposed a transformation of the SYL project into the Yamuna-Sutlej Link, citing the drying Sutlej River. Mann also warned that the SYL canal could incite serious law and order issues, not only affecting Punjab but also potentially impacting the entire country, PTI reported.
The Punjab Chief Minister also underscored the need for revising the clause of paid military support for Punjab. He argued that despite being a border state actively combating terrorism and drug-related challenges, Punjab is required to pay a substantial fee for central paramilitary forces when it needs assistance.
Delhi’s Air Pollution Concerns
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena expressed concerns over air pollution in the national capital, attributed in part to stubble burning in neighboring states. Saxena urged cooperation among the states to tackle the issue effectively. He noted that despite prior discussions on the matter, Punjab’s contribution to mitigating parali burning had remained inadequate, leading to Delhi’s severe air quality issues during winter months, as per officials cited by PTI.
The discussions during the Northern Zonal Council meeting primarily revolved around pollution concerns, especially crop stubble burning, which has long been a vexing issue for the region. While some progress has been made in certain states, a collaborative approach is seen as essential to address this shared environmental challenge.