Amid the ongoing water crisis in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh made a U-turn and told the Supreme Court on Thursday, saying it did not have surplus water to spare. The Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for water supply.A vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale asked Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government to submit an application to the UYRB by 5pm seeking the supply of water to the national capital on humanitarian grounds.
The Himachal Pradesh government told the apex court that it does not have the surplus 136 cusecs of water and withdrew its earlier statement, news agency PTI reported.
The Supreme Court bench said sharing of Yamuna water between states is a complex and sensitive issue and this court does not have the technical expertise to decide on it even on an interim basis, the report added.
“The issue should be left to be considered by the body constituted with the agreement of parties in the memorandum of understanding dated 1994.
“Since the UYRB has already directed Delhi to submit an application for the supply of water on humanitarian grounds… such an application be made, if not already made, by today by 5 pm, and the board shall convene a meeting tomorrow and take decision in the matter at the earliest,” the bench said.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by the Delhi government seeking a direction to Haryana to release the surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital to mitigate its water crisis.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court questioned the Delhi government over tanker mafias and water wastage in the national capital and asked the AAP government to file an affidavit explaining its measures to prevent water loss.
Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Prasanna B Varale took strong objection to the tanker mafias in the national capital and asked the Delhi government what action they had taken against tanker mafias.
The bench also said that if the Delhi government can’t take any action against tanker mafias, then it will ask Delhi Police to take action against tanker mafias.
BJP’s Manoj Tiwari slams Atishi
BJP MP from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari came down heavily on Delhi water minister Atishi and criticised her for blaming other states over the issue.
Tiwari questioned Atishi about why the government is unable to get water if tanker people are getting it.
“Atishi has the water department, she cannot cry that there is no water in Delhi because the tanker mafia is taking out water from Delhi and giving it to the people, they are not filling the tanker with water from Haryana,” news agency ANI quoted Manoj Tiwari as saying.
He added further, “The tanker people get water but why is she (Atishi) not getting water?… During this time, Delhi is also being given more water from other states but the pipes have not been repaired even once in 9-10 years, there is leaking in the pipes, the gutter water is getting mixed in the pipes. How can you blame others for that?”
The BJP leader said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been running the government for the last nine years and Atishi is still giving reasons.
Delhi’s heatwave conditions to persist
Delhi on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The humidity was 37 per cent at 8.30am.
The weather department has predicted partly cloudy skies with heatwave conditions and strong surface winds, occasionally gusty, during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 45 degrees Celsius.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
