Delhi water crisis Live: SC directs AAP govt to approach Upper Yamuna River Board on humanitarian grounds

Delhi Water Minister Atishi told ANI, “Today I came to meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, first of all, he asked about electricity and water supply. He said that whatever steps are needed should be taken. He has instructed the MLAs to go to their areas and solve the problem.”

The Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for water supply. The court asked the Delhi government to submit an application to the UYRB by 5 pm seeking supply of water to the national capital on humanitarian grounds.

Himachal Pradesh does a u-turn, says there is no additional water for release available with the state.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state has released water for Delhi, but it has to go to the national capital through Haryana. The apex court had earlier directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital and Haryana to facilitate its flow, observing the acute shortage of drinking water has become an “existential problem” in Delhi.

BJP leaders met the Delhi police chief and demanded the formation of a special investigation team and registration of an FIR over the alleged theft of water from the Munak Canal and other sources by the tanker mafia.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva along with the party’s North West Delhi MP Yogendra Chandolia met Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora at Delhi Police headquarters and handed over a complaint from the party.

In the complaint, the party requested the Delhi Police to register an FIR over water theft.

Himachal Pradesh should prove it has been releasing 137 cusecs of unutilised water for Delhi pursuant to the Supreme Court order of June 6, the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) has told the top court. The board has acknowledged it is not in a position to estimate whether Himachal Pradesh is abiding by the apex court order.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the UYRB 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.

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav the politics going on over the water crisis in the national capital and said his party will have to come out to the streets to demand a resolution of the issue. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fought the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance under the banner of INDIA bloc. However, the BJP swept all seven seats here.

The Congress leader appealed to the BJP-ruled Haryana government and the AAP dispensation in Delhi not to play politics on the water crisis, as people of Delhi were going through suffering due to water shortage.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena directed the city police chief to ensure a strict vigil along the Munak Canal to prevent the theft of water, as the national capital grapples with a water crisis. “It has been widely reported in media and also mentioned in the related case pending in Hon’ble Supreme Court that tanker mafia has become active in the midst of water crisis in Delhi. It has also been brought to knowledge that these tankers are making illegal theft of water from Munak Canal carrying water from the state of Haryana into Delhi,” a communication from the LG Secretariat said.

Amid water shortage in Delhi, Minister Atishi inspects the Water Distribution Network near Akshardham, with ADM/SDM and Tehsildars team.

#WATCH | Delhi: People queue up near a water tanker to fill water in Chanakyapuri's Vivekananda Camp as water crisis continues in the National Capital. pic.twitter.com/XX7Pg83gaC

— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2024

Good morning readers!

Welcome to the live blog on the water crisis in Delhi. The AAP government will file an affidavit in the Supreme Court listing measures taken against the tanker mafia and the wastage of water.

We will bring you all the latest updates from the case.

Stay tuned!