The meeting between the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the centre of a decades-long water-sharing dispute between the two States, ended without resolution on Tuesday (January 27, 2026), even as both neighbours agreed to continue discussions on the sensitive issue.
After the meeting, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann jointly addressed the media, stating that the meeting was held in a very positive and cordial atmosphere.
Mr. Saini said that, with mutual consent, both States had decided to hold meetings at the level of irrigation department officers for further detailed discussions on issues related to the SYL, so that practical and lasting solutions could be worked out. “The meetings are being held continuously in accordance with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and today’s meeting was also organised in that spirit,” he said.
Mr. Mann said, “We have no water to share with any other state, but as the elder brother of Haryana, we do not want to draw daggers with our neighbouring state and seek early resolution of this long-pending issue.”
He said, “Punjab is the elder brother, and both states are here to find an amicable solution to this controversial issue,” adding that “both the Supreme Court and the Government of India want a mutually accepted solution, and it is a good thing that both states have joined hands to resolve the issue and end confrontation.”
