The Supreme Court has instructed the Delhi government to submit a report detailing the measures implemented to address the issue of "water tanker mafias" who seem to be redirecting water supplies intended to alleviate the current water crisis in Delhi.
A Vacation Bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale noted today that although the Himachal Pradesh government asserted it had dispatched water to Delhi, the supply did not reach the intended channels within Delhi.
The Court remarked that the issue of water tanker mafias, who interfere with water supply, recurs every summer. The Justices mentioned they had seen news reports highlighting the activities of these mafias. The Court warned that if the Delhi government does not take action against these mafias, it will instruct the Delhi Police to intervene.
"Water is coming from Himachal Pradesh, then where is the water going in Delhi? There is so much spillage, tanker mafias etc.. What measures have you taken in this regard. In Delhi, tanker mafias work. Have you taken any action? If you are not taking action, then we will hand it over to Delhi police to take action against tanker mafias. We are seeing this in all channels. You are not doing anything in this regard. It is a recurring problem every summer. What have you done to prevent water wastage coming from all these sources? ... Have you taken any action or FIR against any tanker mafias? Tanker mafias get water and pipelines are running dry," Justice Mishra said.
"There is action, including massive disconnection of water supplies etc. All that excess water wastage is stopped. We will file a report on all steps taken. All the tankers that you are seeing are Delhi Jal Board tankers," Farasat submitted.
"You file report on steps taken to prevent loss of water," the Court replied.
The Court then directed the Delhi government to submit an affidavit detailing the actions taken to prevent water loss either by the end of the day or by tomorrow, before the next hearing of the case.
Senior Advocate Shyam Divan appeared for the Haryana government. Advocate Anup Kumar Ratta represented the Himachal Pradesh government. The matter will be heard next on Thursday (tomorrow).
The Court was considering the Delhi government's petition requesting directives to the State of Haryana to facilitate the transfer of water to the national capital from Himachal Pradesh. The Delhi government had requested this additional water supply as a temporary emergency measure to address the ongoing heatwave.
Previously, the Supreme Court had instructed the Central government to convene a meeting involving all stakeholders of the Upper Yamuna River Board to address the demands put forth by the Delhi government.
Website designed, developed and maintained by webexy