The Supreme Court remarked Tuesday the change of government in Delhi might 'solve all disputes' surrounding the Yamuna, including cleaning the river of pollutants and ensuring neighbouring Haryana, through which the rivers flows into the national capital, gives a fair supply of the water.
The top court had, in January 2021, taken suo moto cognisance of these issues and has been passing orders periodically since. In this particular instance, the court's amicus curiae (a 'friend of the court'), Meenakshi Arora, was speaking about the dispute between the Delhi and Haryana governments.
"... but now, with the change of government, all disputes might get resolved. In these changed circumstances, better implementation may be possible," Justice BR Gavai responded.
The comment came during a hearing on pollution in, and sharing of, water from the Yamuna, which flows through two states - Haryana and Uttar Pradesh - before reaching Delhi.
Previously, only the Haryana and UP governments were controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. But now - after a thumping win over the Aam Aadmi Party - all three states have a BJP administration.
The BJP's Delhi win was built on a two-pronged strategy, one of which targeted AAP boss and ex-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to clean the Yamuna, a vow he made before the 2020 election.
The BJP also ripped into Mr Kejriwal over allegations its Haryana government mixed "poison" in the Yamuna water - referring to dangerously high ammonia levels - supplied to Delhi.
READ | Row Over Kejriwal's "Haryana Mixing Poison In Yamuna Water" Claim
Mr Kejriwal's claim drew a fierce response from Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, who made a show of drinking Yamuna water, and the Election Commission, which rapped him on the knuckles.
It also drew an attack from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called Mr Kejriwal's claims "disgusting" and claimed he had been drinking water from the Yamuna for 11 years.
READ | "Can Haryana BJP Poison Water PM Drinks?" PM Modi Blasts AAP
The political battle over the polluted river - which BJP leaders, beginning with Mr Modi, hailed as 'Yamuna maiya', or 'Mother Yamuna' before and after the election - was a major flashpoint.
In his victory speech after the election, Mr Modi began and finished the phrase 'Yamuna ki jai'' and declared, "People of Delhi have been crying after seeing the condition of Yamuna..."
The BJP has promised to clean up the Yamuna now that it is in power.
READ | Yamuna Clean-Up Begins In Delhi Days After BJP's Poll Win
Last week the party rolled out a three-year plan to that effect and deployed machines to clean the surface of the river, collecting biological and plastic waste. It also ordered a crackdown on industrial units along the river, which had been feeding untreated sewage into the waters.
With input from agencies
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