M A I N   N E W S

SC wants tribunal to resolve Hansi-Butana canal dispute
Slams Centre for keeping quiet, allowing dispute to become bigger
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, July 11
Slamming the Centre for its inaction in resolving the water disputes between Punjab and Haryana, the Supreme Court today suggested that the controversy over the Hansi-Butana canal should be referred to a tribunal.

A Bench comprising Justices JM Panchal and HL Gokhale pointed out that the Supreme Court had already clarified in its verdict relating to the Cauvery river water that inter-state water disputes should be resolved by tribunals.

In the matter relating to Hansi-Butana, the “Centre is keeping quiet allowing the dispute to become a major one,” the Bench said. This issue “should be referred to a tribunal by maintaining the present status quo. We cannot allow the parties to alter the status quo,” the court added.

At one stage, the court also remarked that by remaining silent, the Centre was allowing the dispute to “boil over like this.”

Appearing for Punjab, which filed a suit in the Supreme Court in 2007 to stop Haryana from constructing the Hansi-Butana canal, senior counsel Harish Salve said status quo would be acceptable to his client. Punjab wanted Haryana to stay away from strengthening the Ghaggar bund (embankment) along the canal. Despite Punjab’s objections, Haryana wanted to puncture the main Bhakra canal to take water through the Hansi-Butana canal, he said.

However, counsels for both Punjab and Haryana said they would convey the court’s suggestion for referring the dispute to a tribunal and would come back with their response. “The main suit of Punjab does come under tribunal,” Haryana’s Hawa Singh Hooda and senior counsel Altaf Ahmed, who also appeared for the state, said.