NEW DELHI: In a significant move addressing Delhi’s water crisis, the Supreme Court has instructed the state government to seek an additional 150 cusecs of water from Haryana through the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB).
“The issue of Yamuna water sharing between states is complex and beyond this court’s technical expertise,” remarked a vacation bench of the apex court during a hearing on Thursday.
Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale, who were part of the vacation bench, directed the Delhi government to file an application with the UYRB by 5 PM, requesting water supply for the national capital on humanitarian grounds.
The court also rebuked the Himachal Pradesh government for inaccurately asserting it had 136 cusecs of excess water available.
During the proceedings, the Himachal Pradesh government retracted its previous statement, confirming it does not possess the surplus 136 cusecs of water.
Despite the retraction, the court decided not to impose any sanctions on the Himachal government.
The hearing was in response to a plea from the AAP government, which sought a directive for Haryana to release surplus water reportedly provided by Himachal Pradesh to help alleviate Delhi’s water shortage.
(With inputs from agencies)
