CHANDIGARH | September 3, 2026

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has halted further land acquisition for the proposed 149-km Malwa Canal until the environmental impact assessment is finalised. The order affects 273 landowners from Faridkot, Ferozepur and Muktsar who challenged acquisition proceedings.

What the court stopped

The court did not cancel the Malwa Canal project. It stopped dispossession, acquisition awards and further acquisition steps for the petitioners and similarly placed landowners until the required EIA is complete.

The water-source question

During proceedings, the bench asked whether the water proposed for the canal would be fit for human consumption. That question makes the EIA and underlying water-quality evidence central to the project’s next stage.

What remains to be established

• Whether the final EIA adequately addresses environmental and water-quality risks.
• Whether acquisition procedures satisfy statutory requirements.
• What safeguards will accompany the project if acquisition resumes.
• How affected landowners will be treated under the final process.

Sources

Punjab and Haryana High Court proceedings and published reporting.

The order is a procedural and environmental safeguard, not a final finding that the canal project is unsafe.