The Supreme Court on Monday appointed a committee to conduct local inspection with regard to the quality and quantity of water released by the state of Haryana at Balla (upstream of the Yamuna river in Delhi), the level of the Wazirabad bank and whether the Delhi government is diverting the water to the Water Treatment Plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla before the water reaches...
The Supreme Court on Monday appointed a committee to conduct local inspection with regard to the quality and quantity of water released by the state of Haryana at Balla (upstream of the Yamuna river in Delhi), the level of the Wazirabad bank and whether the Delhi government is diverting the water to the Water Treatment Plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla before the water reaches the Wazirabad bank.
The bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian was hearing a
writ petition by the Delhi Jal Board seeking appropriate directions to the state of Haryana over discharge of untreated pollutants, in view of the increased concentration of ammonia in the river water of Yamuna. It has been prayed that the Court ensure that enough water is supplied to the NCT of Delhi, at a level of 674.503 feet, in pursuance of the Supreme Court decision in the 1996 case of Delhi Water Supply, to ensure that the high concentration of ammonia in the water is diluted.
In view of the urgency of the matter, the bench required the committee to conduct the inspection within three days time and to submit a report to the court within three days. The matter will now be heard by the court on Friday.
The bench noted that the DJB is complaining of the water level being 664 feet instead of 674 feet. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, for the DJB, submitted that the reduction in the supply of water by the state of Haryana has led to the increase of ammonia in the water leading to health problems. Senior counsel Pururshaindra Kaurav, for the state of Haryana, submitted that the Upper Yamuna River Board has carried out an inspection and submitted a report in 2017, which shows that the water being supplied was up to the level of 670.7 above the river bank. He argued that there has to be a diversion of water to the water treatment plants before it reaches the riverbank.
"Before entering into the merits of the matter, we did deem it fit and proper that a committee should be appointed to conduct local inspection within a period of three days as regards the following: (1) the quality and quantity of water being released by Haryana at Palla, (2) the level of the Wazirabad bank and (3) whether the Delhi government is diverting the water to the water treatment plants at Wazirabad, Okhla and Chandrawal before the water reaches the Wazirabad bank ", said the bench.
The committee constituted by the court is to comprise the Secretary, Delhi Jal Shakti Ministry, who shall be the chairman of the committee, and representatives of the Delhi Pollution Control Board, the Delhi Jal Board, the Haryana Pollution Control Board and the Haryana Irrigation Department.