SC Agrees To Hear Delhi’s Petition Against Haryana On Non-Supply Of Water

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear next Monday(April 2) a petition filed by Delhi’s Kejriwal government seeking a direction to Haryana to supply 450 cusecs of potable water daily to Wazirabad barrage for supply to Delhi to overcome an impending "water crisis" in the national capital.

The petition filed Saturday was mentioned before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra by DJB counsel Sumeet Pushkarna.

The Delhi government has accused the Haryana government of violating a 1996 apex court order regarding supply of water.

 “Delhi is in the midst of an acute water crisis owing to stopping of supply of water by Haryana in the Yamuna, which is meant for drinking purposes in Delhi. It is most respectfully submitted that Haryana is defying the directions of this court to supply drinking water at Wazirabad reservoir and is taking undue advantage of being an upper riparian state,” says the petition filed by Delhi Jal Board, adding, “It has converted the river leading to Delhi into a dry river having virtually no water at Delhi and resultantly stoppage of supply meant for drinking water for treatment at Wazirabad reservoir. As otherwise, the coming summer in Delhi is going to see a huge water crisis.”

The petition urges the Supreme Court to issue a direction to  Haryana to ensure a daily supply of 450 cusecs rate of potable water and keep Wazirabad barrage/reservoir full at all times and have a daily monitoring of water quantity and the quality at Wazirabad barrage by an independent agency.

DJB has said that due to drop in the level of Yamuna, its water treatment plants have either stopped functioning or are carrying on below capacity. It said Haryana also releases polluted water which cannot be treated. As a result, the Board is rationing supply, causing the water shortage in large parts of the national Capital.