In talks with Haryana over Yamuna water supply: Government

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it was negotiating with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river per day for the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justice A.M. Khanwilkar and justice D.Y. Chandrachud was informed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that Haryana had released a certain amount of water on Tuesday. 

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the DJB, said that the court might not need to pass any order as both the Delhi and  Haryana governments were negotiating to resolve the crisis.

To Mr Rohatgi’s submission, the bench said it was adjourning the matter for April 16. 

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the capital, leading to a grave water crisis here.

The DJB contended in its plea that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water per day as against 450 cusecs per day which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory.

It has claimed that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant is running at reduced capacity leading to “grave water crisis” in the city.  

The water board had said that the situation would “escalate” as the temperature rises with the onset of summer and the demand for drinking water shoots up. It has sought directions from the SC to Haryana to supply 450 cusecs of water daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. 

The court recently told Haryana that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi.