Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart, Nayab Singh Saini, are scheduled to meet on Monday, January 27, to deliberate on the long-pending Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. The discussions will take place at a hotel in Chandigarh and mark the first formal engagement between the two states on the matter in the new year.
The meeting has been convened in compliance with directions issued by the Supreme Court, which had asked both state governments to hold consultations in an effort to find an amicable resolution to the decades-old water-sharing dispute.
Sources indicated that the talks are expected to focus on exploring possible solutions and assessing each state’s position on water distribution. While no major breakthrough is anticipated immediately, the dialogue is being seen as a step toward restarting negotiations under judicial guidance.
Notably, Chief Ministers Mann and Saini had earlier met informally at Lok Bhawan during Lohri celebrations this year, where the SYL issue was also briefly discussed. However, Monday’s meeting is the first structured discussion dedicated solely to the contentious canal project since the beginning of 2026.
The SYL canal has remained a sensitive political and legal issue for both states, with repeated efforts at resolution failing over the years. Observers will be closely watching the outcome of the talks for any indication of progress.
