Haryana and Punjab have long been at loggerheads over the sharing of river waters. The issue has been brought up time and again but political compulsions do not allow either of the states to go ahead and resolve the matter. The SYL canal has time and again hampered relations between the two states.

It even saw the killing of 31 migrant labourers who were digging the SYL in May, 1988, bringing the construction of the canal to a halt.