‘Don’t have surplus water’: Himachal Pradesh tells Supreme Court
In the midst of the ongoing water crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government retracted its earlier statement on Thursday, informing the Supreme Court that it does not have a 136 cusec water surplus.
The court then asked the Delhi government to contact the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) about water supplies.
The development occurred when the Supreme Court was hearing a petition brought by the Delhi government requesting that Haryana send the extra water given by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital in order to alleviate the city’s water problem.
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Supreme Court directs Delhi govt to approach Upper Yamuna River Board
A vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale directed the Delhi administration to file an application with the UYRB by 5 p.m., requesting a humanitarian water supply for the national capital.
The bench stated that sharing Yamuna water between states is a difficult and delicate subject that this court lacks the technical expertise to resolve, even on an interim basis.
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“The issue should be left to be considered by the body constituted with the agreement of parties in the memorandum of understanding dated 1994,” the bench said.
“Since the UYRB has already directed Delhi to submit an application for the supply of water on humanitarian grounds, such an application be made, if not already made, by today by 5 pm, and the board shall convene a meeting tomorrow and take decision in the matter at the earliest,” it said.
Previous statement by Himachal Government
In an affidavit filed before the top court, the UYRB referred to a letter sent to Haryana by Himachal Pradesh in which the hill state had said its share of unutilised water was already flowing uninterruptedly to the Hathnikund barrage and that Haryana should release it to Delhi.
“As per the above letter, the 137 cusec of unutilised water is already flowing un-interruptedly from the territory of Himachal Pradesh to Tajewala (in Haryana). It therefore emerges that Himachal Pradesh is not releasing any additional water subsequent to the order of the Supreme Court dated 06.06.2024 which could be measured by Upper Yamuna River Board.”
