Published on: May 31, 2024 20:36 IST
Amid a critical water shortage in the national capital, the Delhi government on Friday approached the Supreme Court, seeking an urgent release of additional water from neighboring Haryana. In its plea, the Delhi government cited the acute water scarcity faced by residents due to the severe heat conditions gripping North India, particularly the national capital.
“Direct the Respondent no. 1 (Haryana) for immediate and continuous release of water at the Wazirabad barrage,” the plea stated. The extreme heatwave in Delhi, with temperatures soaring up to around 50 degrees Celsius in some areas, has led to an extraordinary surge in water demand. Consequently, the national capital is experiencing frequent supply cuts, severely disrupting daily life for many residents, the petition added.
The Delhi government emphasized that it has taken all possible administrative measures to optimize, ration, and target water supply. Despite these efforts, the water shortage remains acute. The plea highlighted the dire need for additional water to address the unanticipated summer demand.
To tackle the crisis, the Delhi government has secured an agreement with Himachal Pradesh to share its surplus water. However, since Himachal Pradesh does not share a physical boundary with Delhi, the excess water must be transported through Haryana’s existing water channels and released to Delhi at the Wazirabad barrage. The plea pointed out that Haryana’s cooperation, which is currently lacking, is essential for this arrangement.
The Delhi government stated that it has already raised the issue with Haryana, requesting the release of surplus water at the Wazirabad barrage. However, Haryana has yet to comply with this request. The petition clarified that the Delhi government does not intend to shift blame but seeks an immediate resolution to the water crisis through the release of surplus water, including that provided by Himachal Pradesh.
Delhi seeks this surplus release from Haryana as a one-time solution to address the current emergency and resolve the ongoing water crisis in the National Capital Territory.