The Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the governments of Punjab and Haryana to work in collaboration with the Centre to find an amicable solution to the long-standing Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih was informed by the Centre that it had already initiated steps towards resolving the issue through dialogue and mediation.

“We direct both states to cooperate with the Union of India in arriving at an amicable solution,” the bench stated, adding that the matter will be taken up again on August 13 if no resolution is reached by then.

Representing the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told the court, “We have made efforts for mediation, but the states have to walk the talk.”

The SYL canal was originally conceptualised to ensure equitable distribution of water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. The plan involved a 214-kilometre canal—122 km in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. While Haryana has completed construction on its side, Punjab, which began work in 1982, later halted the project.

The dispute between the two states has persisted for decades. In a significant ruling on January 15, 2002, the Supreme Court had decided in Haryana’s favour in a suit filed in 1996, directing the Punjab government to complete the construction of its portion of the canal.