'Don't Want To Be Influenced By Media Reports': SC Adjourns Delhi Water Crisis Matter Till June 12 Over Defects In Plea

The Supreme Court adjourned hearing AAP govt's plea seeking directions to the Haryana govt to allow flow of surplus water provided by the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government Delhi Water Crisis

The top court pulled up Delhi government's lawyer for not correcting defects in the petition

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing Aam Aadmi Party government's plea seeking directions to the Haryana government to allow flow of surplus water provided by the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government Delhi Water Crisis. The top court pulled up Delhi government's lawyer for not correcting defects in the petition and said that it wants to read the corrected affidavits and files properly as there is much reported in media on the case.

A bench of Justices PK Mishra and KV Viswanathan at the outset said that defects were pointed out last week and still they were not removed from the petition filed by the AAP government in Delhi.

"Thus list it day after tomorrow so all the reports etc., are on record. We also want to read the file. There is so much reporting in media and if we do not read files then the media reports can impress us and that is not a good thing," the bench said while adjourning the matter.

Noting that the status reports and affidavits from state governments are not on record since defects were not removed, the court listed the matter for June 12 for further hearing. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the BJP led Haryana government to release the additional surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to Delhi in the wake of extreme Heatwave and Delhi water crisis. The court further said that there should be no wastage of water by the Delhi government.

The court also warned the Delhi government to not politicise the issue of water if the Supreme Court passes an order in its favour.

The bench asked the Haryana government to explain why it is objecting to release water when Himachal Pradesh government is sending surplus water to help Delhi in this extreme situation. 

The counsel appearing for Haryana government contested Himachal's government claim of having surplus water and said that there is no way to measure if surplus water is being released by the Congress led Himachal govt.

On this, counsel appearing for Delhi said that these are false claims by Haryana and they just want to obstruct water supply to Delhi amid water crisis.

In the previous hearing the top court asked for an urgent meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board and directed it to submit the steps to address the issue. The Yamuna Board meeting report noted that Delhi was suffering from acute water shortage and Himachal had 137 cusecs of extra water and thus directed the Delhi government to write to Haryana government to release surplus water sent by Himachal on humanitarian grounds.

The counsel for Haryana told the top court on Thursday, that even his state is suffering from heatwave and water shortage.

The court said that the discussion of Yamuna Board recorded by court reveals that the stakeholders have not disputed that there is an extraordinary heatwave condition and acute shortage of water in Delhi.

"Although, it records that Harayana is also facing heatwave, there is no shortage of drinking water in Haryana," the top court said on Haryana's claim of water shortage.

The bench noted that there is no crisis in Haryana as it is in Delhi with regard to drinking water.

"The shortage of water is not for drinking water but for irrigation in Haryana," the bench noted.

The court recorded the chart submitted by an officer of Jal Shakti Board from Himachal Pradesh that showed that Himachal has excess water.

"The breakup of the surplus water available in Himachal is noted to be 137 cusec between March to June. Since Himachal has no objection to release surplus water, we direct Himachal to release 137 cusec water available to Hathnikund barrage. As and when the surplus water is released the Himachal government should inform Haryana and the same be facilitated by Haryana government to Wazirabad Barrage so water reaches Delhi," the top court passed the order on Thursday.