Himachal Denies Surplus Water; SC Directs Delhi to UYRB

In a significant development amid the ongoing water crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government has retracted its earlier claim, informing the Supreme Court that it does not possess a surplus of 136 cusecs of water. Consequently, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for water supply. This directive came while the court was hearing a plea from the Delhi government seeking instructions for Haryana to release the surplus reportedly provided by Himachal Pradesh to mitigate Delhi’s water scarcity.

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Supreme Court Instructs Delhi to Seek Humanitarian Water Supply from UYRB Amid Complex Distribution Issues

A vacation bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale urged the Delhi government to apply the UYRB by 5 PM, requesting water on humanitarian grounds. The bench emphasized that the distribution of Yamuna water among states is a complex and sensitive issue beyond the court’s technical purview. The bench reiterated that the matter should be resolved by the UYRB, as per the memorandum of understanding dated 1994. The court instructed the UYRB to convene a meeting promptly to address the supply request from Delhi.

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The affidavit, filed by advocate Brajesh Kumar, noted that Himachal Pradesh lacks the storage capacity to release an additional 137 cusecs of water. Meanwhile, in its affidavit, the Delhi government highlighted issues with the tanker mafia entering from Haryana and jurisdictional challenges in taking action against them. Despite these issues, the Delhi government assured it is trying to control leakages amidst the ongoing crisis.

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