Delhi-Haryana water dispute: HC asks centre to convene meeting

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to convene a meeting, by first week of June, of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to settle the dispute between Delhi and Haryana over the quantum of water to be released to the national capital through Munak canal.

Justice Hima Kohli asked the Ministry of Water Resources to convene the GoM meeting and to submit a status report before the next date of hearing in September this year.

If the report is not filed on the next date, the concerned Joint Secretary of the ministry will have to be present in the court, she said in an order.

The convening of the meeting assumes significance as according to Delhi Jal Board, around 80 million gallons per day (MGD) of water is to be received through the canal which could help in commissioning of three water treatment plants set up here at a cost of Rs 744 crore.

The order was passed after the ministry submitted an affidavit in the court stating that no development took place at the last meeting of the GoM, held on 6 March, as Union Minister Kapil Sibal could not participate due to ill health and that efforts are being made to convene another meeting at an early date.

Advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, appearing for DJB, however, submitted before the court that the process of convening the meeting be expedited so that the Dwarka, Bawana and Okhla water treatment plants get water and commence working at the earliest.

The civic body also stated that once the three plants are operationalised, continuous drinking water can be supplied to Dwarka and other adjoining areas in West Delhi which are currently dependent on tankers for their water needs.

The court was hearing a petition by Mahavir Enclave Complex Colonies Welfare Confederation alleging they have not received a drop of water for more than 20 years from DJB and it is dependent on water supplied through tankers by DDA for its needs. 

The Munak canal dispute between the two states pertains to the quantum of water to be released to Delhi by Haryana Irrigation Department.

DJB had earlier submitted to the court that the 102km long Munak canal was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around Rs 412 crore from Delhi government on the condition that the national capital will be supplied 80 MGD water from it but Haryana had refused to supply the water to the city.

Haryana, on the other hand, had disputed the claim of DJB, saying it has been releasing more than 610 cubic feet per second of water at Munak.

It had also said Delhi is getting sufficent raw water from rivers Yamuna, Ganga and Ravi-Beas as well as from groundwater resources. Haryana had alleged mismanagement of water distribution is the reason for the water shortage faced by Delhi.

DJB had earlier told the court that the national capital requires over 1100 MGD of potable water and the civic body has been generating around 935 MGD of water.

It had also said the 80 MGD water received through Munak canal would help operationalise the three water treatment plants as well as free up the water currently being sent to West Delhi through tankers.