A victory for people: Atishi on SC order asking HP to release water

New Delhi, June 6

Water Minister Atishi on Thursday lauded the Supreme Court’s directive instructing Himachal Pradesh to release surplus water to Delhi, calling it a significant win for city’s residents.

The Supreme Court has mandated the Himachal Pradesh Government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to alleviate Capital’s ongoing water crisis.

The decision came from a vacation bench comprising Justices PK Mishra and KV Viswanathan. Additionally, the court directed the Haryana Government to ensure the smooth passage of this water to Delhi.

Atishi expressed her gratitude towards the Supreme Court in a post on X, praising the court for supporting Delhi’s populace during the severe water shortage.

“I thank the Supreme Court for standing with the people of Delhi during this unprecedented water crisis. This is a time that calls for coordinated effort above all else, and the SC order marks a victory for the people of Delhi and their right to water,” she said in her post.

The water crisis in Delhi has been exacerbated by accusations from the Delhi government that Haryana is not releasing the agreed-upon share of water.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The amount of water for Delhi that was decided in 1993 remains the same even after 30 years, despite the population of Delhi increasing manifold. I met Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu twice, and we expressed our interest in buying water from the state, to which the CM agreed. We were only asking the BJP government of Haryana to at least let us take the water that Himachal Pradesh wants to give to Delhi. The BJP government of Haryana said they would not even provide a way for the water. Shouldn’t the Central Government have taken the initiative to ensure that Haryana allows the passage of water? What the Supreme Court said today should have been done earlier. I want to thank the top court and the Himachal Pradesh Government.”

Population up, but water amount same

The amount of water for Delhi that was decided in 1993 remains the same even after 30 years, despite the population of Delhi increasing manifold. — Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP leader