Punjab will burn if Sutlej-Yamuna canal is built: Amarinder Singh to Centre

Chandigarh, Aug 18: Opposing the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday warned that "Punjab will burn" if the state is asked to share water with Haryana.

At a meeting with his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Punjab CM called SYL an emotive issue which could disturb national security.

The meeting was held on the directions of the Supreme Court, which asked the two CMs last month to discuss the completion of the SYL canal, which is in the works for several decades.

Punjab is reluctant to share water with Haryana and Rajasthan, saying it has nothing to spare.

"You have to look at the issue from the national security perspective," he told Shekhawat through video conference, according to a Punjab government statement.

"If you decide to go ahead with SYL, Punjab will burn and it will become a national problem, with Haryana and Rajasthan also suffering the impact," he added.

Khattar and Shekhawat joined the meeting from Delhi.

The Haryana CM told reporters later that the two chief ministers will meet again on the issue.