Akshata Sharma
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NEW DELHI: Resolution of the water crisis in the parched national capital will begin a day after the country elects a new govt as the Supreme Court on Monday ordered Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) comprising all stakeholder states to meet on June 5 to address Delhi govt's distress demand for additional water supply.
While the BJP govt of Haryana maintained "there is no shortage of agreed supply of water from it to National Capital Territory of Delhi", the Congress govt of Himachal Pradesh volunteered to supply excess water available with it to Delhi through carrier canals in Haryana. Delhi's governing party AAP and Congress are part of the INDI Alliance for Lok Sabha polls.
Appearing for NCT Delhi, senior advocate A M Singhvi said HP's offer to provide surplus water is not only gracious but reflective of cooperative federalism.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said if the Delhi govt tightened its belt and plugged a whopping 52% loss in distribution of supplied water, there would be no crisis.
A vacation bench of Justices Prashant K Mishra and K V Viswanathan asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for Union and Haryana govt, for convening of an urgent meeting of UYRB comprising member of Central Water Commission as chairman, and one nominee each of UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal.
All steps must be taken to plug loss of water in supply: SC
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said convening a meeting of Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) on June 4 would be difficult. The Supreme Court realised that June 4 being the counting of Lok Sabha election votes, and said"everyone would be glued to the TV" and "there would be too much (political) heat".
It directed convening of the meeting on June 5 and sought a status report of the steps taken to resolve the water crisis by June 6, the next date of hearing on the petition filed by Delhi govt.
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