Haryana agrees to release Delhi’s share

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 23

The Haryana Government agreed to supply the national Capital’s share of water for 15 days. Later the Supreme Court will take the final decision. Delhi’s share of water is 450 cusecs, said Dinesh Mohaniya, member of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

The decision was taken at a meeting held at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi which was attended by AAP MLA Dinesh Mohaniya, and Chief Executive Officer of the DJB Arvind Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary (Delhi Government) Anshu Prakash and the Chief Secretary of Haryana. The Secretary of Water Resources, Ministry of Central Government, was also there to mediate the meeting, said Mohaniya.

He said it was one hour meeting. All the decisions were taken amicably. Both the state governments agreed to the decision of the meeting which held following direction of the Supreme Court that heard the case today.

The Supreme Court today directed the Chief Secretaries of both the states and the Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources to hold a meeting immediately to discuss and sort out the issues relating to the supply of the Yamuna water to the capital.

The apex court said this after both the Chief Secretaries, who were present in the court during the hearing, raised some issues regarding the minutes of the meeting held earlier between them.

While Haryana claims it is supplying the entire amount of water to Delhi through a local canal system, Delhi wants it done through the main canal system so that it can distribute water for irrigation and use the remaining for providing drinking water.

Sources in the government said under the May 1994 MoU, Delhi’s share of the Yamuna water is 381 cusec at Tajewala and another 369 cusec at Wazirabad. Of the 381 cusec, 330 cusec is supplied at the Haiderpur Canal while the remaining 51 cusec is meant for Delhi's irrigational use.