New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the Upper Yamuna River Board to hold an urgent meeting on June 5 with all concerned states to address the severe water shortage affecting Delhi residents.
The directive came from a vacation bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan, which scheduled a follow-up hearing for June 6. The bench requested the meeting minutes and actionable steps from the states involved.
Representing Delhi, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi emphasized the critical situation due to an ongoing heatwave, stressing the need to maintain water levels at the Wazirabad plant.
The bench inquired, “Why can’t there be a joint meeting of all the stakeholders?” In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and Haryana, mentioned that the Upper Yamuna River Board was already considering the issue but pointed out significant water wastage in Delhi, estimating it at nearly 50%.
Counsel for Himachal Pradesh expressed the state’s readiness to supply water to Delhi through its canal network via Haryana.
Facing severe water shortages amid record-high temperatures, the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court for urgent additional water from Haryana. The petition highlighted the acute shortage worsened by the extreme heat, which has pushed temperatures in Delhi up to around 50 degrees Celsius, driving up water demand.
The Delhi government’s plea detailed the impact of the water crisis, including frequent supply cuts disrupting daily life. It emphasized that all possible administrative measures had been taken to manage the water supply, but the shortage remained critical.
The petition proposed a solution involving the state of Himachal Pradesh, which agreed to share its surplus water. However, as Himachal Pradesh does not border Delhi, the excess water needs to be transported through Haryana. The petition stressed the necessity of Haryana’s cooperation, which had not been forthcoming.
The Delhi government reiterated its request for Haryana to release surplus water to the Wazirabad barrage, not to shift blame but to seek an immediate resolution to the crisis. The petition concluded by urging Haryana to provide the surplus water as a one-time measure to alleviate the emergency situation in Delhi.
