While the BJP govt of Haryana maintained “there is no shortage of agreed supply of water from it to National Capital Territory of Delhi”, the Congress govt of Himachal Pradesh volunteered to supply excess water available with it to Delhi through carrier canals in Haryana.Delhi’s governing party AAP and Congress are part of the INDI Alliance for Lok Sabha polls.
Appearing for NCT Delhi, senior advocate A M Singhvi said HP’s offer to provide surplus water is not only gracious but reflective of cooperative federalism. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said if the Delhi govt tightened its belt and plugged a whopping 52% loss in distribution of supplied water, there would be no crisis.
A vacation bench of Justices Prashant K Mishra and K V Viswanathan asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for Union and Haryana govt, for convening of an urgent meeting of UYRB comprising member of Central Water Commission as chairman, and one nominee each of UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal.
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All steps must be taken to plug loss of water in supply: SC
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said convening a meeting of Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) on June 4 would be difficult. The Supreme Court realised that June 4 being the counting of Lok Sabha election votes, and said“everyone would be glued to the TV” and “there would be too much (political) heat”.
It directed convening of the meeting on June 5 and sought a status report of the steps taken to resolve the water crisis by June 6, the next date of hearing on the petition filed by Delhi govt. Mehta said the issue is already under consideration of UYRB and Himachal Pradesh has been asked to find out the surplus water available with it.
Arvind Kejriwal govt had moved SC seeking a direction to Haryana for “immediate and continuous release of water at Wazirabad barrage, including but not limited to the full surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh for NCT Delhi” for mitigation of water crisis in the national capital.
Reflecting on the loss of water in distribution mentioned by Mehta, the bench told Delhi govt counsel AM Singhvi that all steps must be taken by Delhi govt to plug the loss of water in supply. Mehta said as per Economic Survey of Delhi 2023-24, 52.3% of water supplied to Delhi does not reach the citizens for factors like theft of water by industries and menace of water tankers mafia. SC will hear the matter again on June 6.
