On Delhi Water Crisis, Supreme Court Asks Yamuna Board To Meet On June 5

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Upper Yamuna River Board to convene an urgent emergency meeting on June 5 of all stakeholder states to resolve the water crisis faced by the residents of Delhi.

The vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan posted the plea of the Delhi government seeking additional water from neighbouring Haryana for a hearing on June 6 and sought minutes of the meeting and suggestions on the steps taken.

Appearing for the Delhi government, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that there is an extreme heatwave in Delhi and that the water level at the Wazirabad plant must be maintained.

The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing Centre and Haryana government to hold a meeting of stakeholders.

"Why cannot there be a joint meeting of all the stakeholders?" asked the bench.

Mehta said the issue is already being considered by the Upper Yamuna River Board. However, he also pointed to the alleged wastage of water in the city.

He added that Delhi government must stop nearly 50 per cent wastage of water supplied to the national capital.

Counsel for Himachal Pradesh submitted that the State was ready to provide water to Delhi through its canal network via Haryana.

Amid the water shortage in national capital, Delhi government on Friday approached the Supreme Court to get immediate additional water from neighbouring Haryana.

Delhi government in its plea said that it is constrained to file the petition on account of the acute shortage of water being faced by the people of Delhi, triggered by the ongoing severe heat conditions in North India, particularly in Delhi.

"Direct the Respondent no. 1 (Haryana) for immediate and continuous release of water at the Wazirabad barrage," the plea has stated.

The record-high temperatures and heatwave in Delhi, which has resulted in maximum temperature rising up to around 50 degrees Celsius at some places, have caused an extraordinary and excessive surge in water demand in the city, it said.

As a result, the national capital is dealing with a water shortage which has led to frequent supply cuts in many parts of the NCT of Delhi, and has disrupted the daily life of the ordinary residents, added the plea.

It further stated, "The Government of NCT of Delhi has taken all administrative measures to ensure optimisation, rationing and targeted supply of water in the national capital; yet, the shortage of water remains acute and it is clear, by all indicators, that the NCT of Delhi is in dire need of additional water."

It said that in order to deal with this unanticipated demand in the summer months, Delhi government has already devised a solution to meet the increased demand for water in the national capital -- the State of Himachal Pradesh, has agreed to share its surplus water with Delhi.

"Himachal Pradesh does not share a physical boundary with the NCT of Delhi. Therefore, the excess /surplus water released by Himachal Pradesh, has to be transported through the existing water channels/river systems in Haryana and released to Delhi at the Wazirabad barrage. Therefore, Haryana's facilitation and cooperation, which is not being provided as on date, is imperative," the petition stated.

Delhi government said that it has already raised the issue of unrelenting heat and the consequent water crisis in the national capital with Haryana and has requested it to release the surplus water in the Wazirabad barrage, however, Haryana is yet to accede to such request.

"Be that as it may, by way of the instant petition, the Petitioner- Delhi government does not intend to shift the blame on Haryana or any other State, and only prays for an immediate resolution of the ongoing water crisis in the national capital through the release of the surplus water -- including but not limited to surplus water being provided by Himachal Pradesh in the Wazirabad barrage - by Haryana," it added.

Delhi seeks this surplus release of water by Haryana as a one-time solution to redress the present emergency and resolve the ongoing water crisis in the NCT of Delhi, stated the plea.

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