Delhi Water Crisis: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Himachal Pradesh to release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it and directed Haryana to facilitate the flow of the surplus water from Hathnikund to Wazirabad uninterruptedly to Delhi to mitigate the drinking water crisis in the national capital.
Supreme Court asks Himachal Pradesh to release surplus water on June 7 with prior intimation to Haryana. It asks the Upper Yamuna River Board to measure water released by Himachal Pradesh at Hathnikund.
The top court has also asked the Delhi government to ensure that there should be no wastage of water and sought a report on the matter by Monday June 10.
A vacation bench of Justices PK Mishra and KV Viswanathan noted that the Himachal Pradesh government is willing to release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it for Delhi. One cusec (cubic foot per second) is equal to 28.317 litres of liquid flow every second.
"Since Himachal Pradesh has no objection and is ready and willing to release the surplus water available with it, we direct that Himachal Pradesh shall release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it from the upstream so that the water reaches Hathnikund barrage and reaches Delhi through Wazirabad," the bench said.
Considering the urgency in the matter, the bench directed Himachal Pradesh to release the water on June 7 with prior intimation to Haryana. It said the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) shall measure the excess water which comes to Hathnikund for its onward supply to Wazirabad and Delhi.
"As and when the surplus water is released with prior information to Haryana by the state of Himachal Pradesh, the state of Haryana shall facilitate the flow of surplus water so released by Himachal Pradesh to Hathnikund and to Wazirabad so that it reaches Delhi uninterruptedly and is made available for the citizens of Delhi for drinking water," the bench ordered.
"A status report be submitted before this court on Monday (June 10)," it said.
It also asked the Delhi government to ensure water received for the parched national capital is not wasted. The apex court said the Delhi government and the respondents, including Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, shall file their compliance affidavits by Monday.
The bench, which was hearing a plea filed by the Delhi government seeking a direction to Haryana to release the surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital to mitigate its ongoing water crisis, posted the matter for further hearing on June 10.
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