“Don’t Have Surplus To Share With Delhi”: Himachal’s U-Turn Amid Water Crisis

In a twist in the Supreme Court battle over Delhi’s spiralling water crisis, Himachal Pradesh has said it does not have surplus water to send to the national capital, a day after the hill state said it had released water for Delhi and the supply needs to go through Haryana.

As Delhi residents reel under the double blow of a heatwave and water crisis, the Supreme Court had directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital and told Haryana to facilitate its flow. The court had said the drinking water shortage has become an “existential problem” in Delhi.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the state has already released water. “We have released water. We have asked advocates to inform the Supreme Court about this. The water we have released, we are ready to give that water. There are no ifs and buts.”

In a U-turn, Himachal government’s counsel told the court today that the 137 cusecs water was “unutilised after use of irrigation and part of natural course of river flow”. “We could not convey it properly earlier. Our correct statement may come on record. Maybe we made a mistake earlier, but I have been briefed. I will correct and withdraw the earlier statement that flow was obstructed,” he said.

This drew a warning from the court. “We can haul you up for contempt and summon your Chief Secretary,” it said. The Himachal government counsel apologised and said they will submit an affidavit and withdraw their earlier response.

The court has asked the Upper River Yamuna Board to hold meetings and find a resolution to the problem. Earlier, the board had said Himachal Pradesh should prove it has been releasing 137 cusecs of unutilised water for Delhi after the court’s June 6 ruling.

In an affidavit filed before the court, the board referred to a letter sent to Haryana by Himachal Pradesh in which the hill state has said its share of unutilised water was already flowing uninterruptedly to the Hathnikund barrage and that Haryana should release it to Delhi.

“As per 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,” the board said.

Residents of several areas in Delhi are suffering due to the shortage of drinking water that has made the heatwave unbearable. Amid the crisis, the activities of tanker mafia have compounded residents’ woes. The court has pulled up the Aam Aadmi Party government over wastage of water and tanker mafia and questioned what steps it has taken to counter these problems.