Supreme Court directs Centre to hold stakeholders meet to address Delhi’s demand for more water
The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to hold a meeting of stakeholders to address the AAP led Delhi government’s demand for supply of additional water from Himachal Pradesh through Haryana.
A Vacation Bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the verdict after hearing the Delhi government’s plea seeking directions to Haryana to facilitate supply of water to the national capital from Himachal Pradesh. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked the Court why there cannot be a joint meeting of all the stakeholders.
To this, the Solicitor General submitted that the issue is already being considered by the Upper Yamuna River Board. Nonetheless, he also pointed to the alleged misuse of water in the national capital. He added that the Delhi government has to rein in leakages, underlining that water loss is more than 52 percent because of the tanker mafia.
Representing the Delhi government, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi contended that there is an extreme heatwave in Delhi and that the water level at the Wazirabad plant must be maintained.
Subsequently, the Court urged the Centre to hold a meeting of stakeholders. Solicitor General Mehta then said that the meeting would be held on June 5. The counsel for Himachal Pradesh submitted that the state was ready to provide water to Delhi through its canal network.
The matter will now be heard on June 6. The AAP government asked for additional water during the ongoing heatwave as a stop-gap emergency measure. Delhi is currently battling a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, coupled with an acute shortage of water, it was pointed out.
Recently, the Delhi government moved the Supreme Court urging additional water supply from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh for a month amid a severe shortage in the national capital. The government in its plea mentioned that the water demand in the national capital has risen significantly due to heatwave conditions. It urged the apex court to direct Haryana to release extra water for a month. It further said that it is the responsibility of all to work towards fulfilling water needs of Delhi.
from India Legal https://ift.tt/8ptvW9g