Gurugram: Delhi is getting more than its due share of water from the Yamuna River, the Haryana government said Wednesday amid a war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over a water crisis in the national capital.
Speaking to the media Wednesday, Haryana Minister of State for Irrigation and Water Resources Abhe Singh Yadav said that the state is diligently meeting its commitment to supply water to Delhi as per its share. “Rather, we have been giving them more water than its due share,” Yadav added.
The YouTube channel of the Haryana Information and Public Relations Department posted a 6.01-minute video of his media address.
“From the beginning, we are mindful that there should not be any chaos in the national capital because of the scarcity of drinking water. We have always endeavoured to provide Delhi’s complete share of water. But, how it (Delhi government) uses that water — and how it manages it — is entirely its responsibility,” Yadav said.
He further said that even after getting its complete share of water from Haryana, Delhi has still been facing a shortage of drinking water, and the AAP government must check for faults in its water management.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s 6 June direction to Haryana to channel additional water from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi, Yadav maintained that the state has received no water for Delhi.
“If you have read the Supreme Court order, it said that once Himachal Pradesh supplies the water, the Yamuna Water Board will verify the inflow, and then, Haryana will ensure a smooth flow to Delhi… no water came nor was it verified,” he added.
On 6 June, the SC asked Himachal Pradesh to release excess water it claimed to have to Delhi and asked Haryana to facilitate its flow, but Himachal Pradesh withdrew its claim later, drawing the top court’s ire.
On the issue of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, whose completion is pending, Yadav said, “The Supreme Court gave explicit orders in 2002 for the construction of the SYL canal so that Haryana could get its share of waters from the Ravi-Beas system from Punjab. But despite several subsequent orders of the SC for the execution of the 2002 judgment, there has been no implementation due to the negative attitude of Punjab.”
In October last year, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Punjab government for ignoring a 21-year-old direction to construct its side of the SYL.
“On the other hand, work on the Hansi-Butana Canal, which is entirely an internal canal that starts in Haryana and ends in Haryana, is also on hold because of a court stay obtained by the Punjab government. In today’s circumstances, what looks quite strange to me is the fact that the party that runs the government in Delhi is in power in Punjab too,” said Yadav.
The top court put the Hansi-Butana canal on hold in 2007 after Punjab objected, saying the project threatened a large area in the state with floods by obstructing natural water flow. A plea by Haryana to vacate the order is pending with the court.
Yadav further said that though the AAP government in Punjab is not allowing the SYL canal to be constructed, the Delhi government led by the same party is demanding additional water from Haryana ever after getting its share and then approaching the Supreme Court in the matter repeatedly.
Yadav said that the last time the Delhi government approached the Supreme Court, the court reprimanded it for filing unnecessary litigation. He said the court’s response underscored the importance of proper water management by the Delhi government rather than engaging in legal battles.
On 10 June, the Supreme Court pulled up Delhi’s AAP government for not clearing defects in its petition seeking surplus water from Haryana, saying the court shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Yadav also accused the AAP government of playing politics in the name of water, saying the attitude of the AAP smacks of politics rather than need because, on the one hand, its government in Delhi approached the Supreme Court seeking more water from Haryana, but, on the other hand, its government in Punjab refuses to obey the Supreme Court’s order for the construction of the SYL Canal.
“I want to make it clear once again that supplying water to the national capital, Delhi, is a sensitive and important matter. The Haryana government has never been negligent in this regard in the past and will continue to uphold this commitment in the future,” said Yadav.
“However, the repeated attempts by the Delhi government to approach the Supreme Court, even after receiving its allotted share of water, are merely political manoeuvres disguised as water-related concerns,” he added.
He said as far as his understanding went the Delhi government needed to improve its management of the available water.
“I have been briefed that the internal audit of the Delhi government suggested 50 percent wastage of drinking water last year. With 50 percent wastage, how will the AAP government be able to manage the water crisis even if it gets additional water?” Yadav asked.
Delhi government 31 May this year approached the SC accusing Haryana of supplying lesser quantities of Yamuna water than its share, an allegation vehemently denied by Haryana.
The SC Thursday disposed of the Delhi government’s plea, asking it to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board for additional water.
Also read: Case files in sink, no AC or water supply — Delhi’s consumer forums crumble with massive pendency
War of words between Atishi and the LG
A spat on social media was witnessed between LG VK Saxena and Delhi Minister Atishi on Wednesday over the water crisis.
In an X post in Hindi, Atishi said that a press note issued by the LG abused her and said many bad things about her.
Atishi also said that it’s known that the LG and the BJP hated the AAP because the Delhi people repeatedly made Arvind Kejriwal the chief minister with a huge mandate.
“But while hating us, you have started hating Delhi people. You can abuse us as much as you want. But because of your hatred against us, do not stop the rightful water of Delhi people because they are deeply distressed due to shortage of water,” Atishi said in the post.
The LG office retorted, saying, “Mantriji, LG Saheb did not abuse you. The LG office has refuted your abuses for him and white lies with evidence and has exposed your habit of misleading the people of Delhi.”
In an earlier 10 June post on X, Atishi alleged that the affidavit filed by the Haryana government in the Supreme Court that day exposed its lies that Delhi was getting its complete share as the affidavit made it clear that Haryana was discharging 985 cusecs of water instead of Delhi’s share of 1050 cusecs.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also read: ‘Welcome an independent committee on water supply and usage in Delhi,’ Delhi govt tells SC