Supreme Court Directs Himachal Pradesh To Release Surplus Water To Delhi Amid Shortage

Delhi Water Shortage: In the latest development in the ongoing water crisis in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water by tomorrow to assist the capital in dealing with the water shortage. The top court stated that the hill state government has agreed to release the water, adding that the Haryana government will facilitate the release of water via its Wazirabad barrage.

The Apex Court instructed the Himachal Pradesh government to release the needed water after giving prior notice to Haryana government. It also warned the Delhi Government against the wastage of water. Recently, the AAP government moved to the Top Court seeking additional supply of water from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal. The capital city is currently dealing with water shortage amid the scorching heat.

In an attempt to tackle the ongoing water crisis, the Delhi government, steered by the AAP, has laid down stringent rules to curb water wastage. Individuals found guilty of squandering water could face a fine of ₹2,000. Further, the government has commanded appropriate authorities to sever any unapproved water links they discover at building sites or businesses. Atishi, Delhi’s water minister, has attributed the recent heatwave to a surge in water consumption while highlighting the dwindling water levels of the Yamuna River. Regardless of multiple pleas, only 671 feet of water was discharged from the Wazirabad pond, a noticeable decrease from the 674.5 feet released in the year prior. The rising water shortage prompted the judicial body to schedule a priority meeting with the Upper Yamuna River Board on the 5th of June. Going a step further, on 30th May, the AAP rulership inaugurated a central command center supervised by an IAS officer. They’ve also set up a direct assist line, ‘1916’, enabling locals to request water tankers.

Arvind Kejriwal, who presides as Delhi’s Chief Minister, returned to Tihar Jail on June 2 to make an appeal. He asked the BJP if they could intervene and speak with the powers-that-be in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, to arrange for water supply for the capital city.

“If the BJP talks to its governments in Haryana and UP and gets some water for Delhi for a month, then the people of Delhi will greatly appreciate this step of the BJP. Such scorching heat is not in anyone’s control. But if we all work together, can we provide relief to the people from this?” Kejriwal had posted on X.