The Supreme Court today again took note of Delhi's water woes. This time pointing to issues of water loss and wastage, particularly due to the 'tanker mafia'. The Court asked the Delhi Government to file a report on the action taken regarding this issue in the matter scheduled before it on Thursday.
Coming down strongly on the efforts of the government in the capital, the Court said, "Delhi tanker mafia is working, and you are not taking action. If the Delhi government can't take action, then we can ask Delhi police to take action."
Delhi has been facing an acute water shortage, with AAP Minister Atishi explaining that the heatwave and depleting Yamuna levels have contributed to this situation.
The concern of the Court stemmed from issues raised by the Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta on June 3, 2024. The SG spoke of water wastage in the midst of Delhi's water crisis during the hearing, wherein the Delhi government petitioned for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to release water to the capital region.
The Court had earlier directed the Upper Yamuna River Board to submit a status report regarding the measures taken to ensure the supply of water released from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi. Upon its submission and consideration, the Court ordered the release of 137 cusecs of surplus water from Himachal Pradesh. This was based on the minutes of a meeting held by the Upper Yamuna River Board with the States of Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, along with the Centre.
Today, the Vacation Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B. Varale heard the matter. "People are suffering. The same water is coming through tanker, but in the pipeline there is no water. We are seeing visuals in every channel, tanker mafia working in Delhi. What measures have you taken?" Justice Mishra said.
The Court therefore ordered that the "Govt. of NCT shall file the affidavit for the measures taken by the Delhi Government to prevent loss of water." Further, the Delhi Government was pulled up for not curing the defects in its petition. Reiterating the need for transparency, the Court questioned "Why were false statements made before this court? Water is coming from Himachal Pradesh. Then where is the water going in Delhi?"
In response to the Court's statements, the Delhi Government orally mentioned about some measures taken which "included massive disconnections and usage of water for only essential purposes." It further noted that "We are in a catch-22 situation with very little water. In so far as police is concerned, we will be more than happy to have the Police take action in this."
Highlighting the importance of the issue, the Court said that saving even 5-10 percent loss of water would be of benefit to citizens. The next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, June 13, 2024.
