SC directs HP to release 137 cusecs surplus water for Delhi, asks Haryana to facilitate flow
New Delhi, Jun 6: The acute shortage of drinking water has become an "existential problem" in Delhi, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday and directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital on Friday and Haryana to facilitate its flow.
The apex court also said there should be no politics over water.
A vacation bench of Justices P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan noted that the Himachal Pradesh government is willing to release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it for Delhi.
One cusec (cubic foot per second) is equal to 28.317 litres of liquid flow every second.
"Since Himachal Pradesh has no objection and is ready and willing to release the surplus water available with it, we direct that Himachal Pradesh shall release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it from the upstream so that the water reaches Hathnikund barrage and reaches Delhi through Wazirabad," the bench said.
Considering the urgency in the matter, the bench directed Himachal Pradesh to release the water on June 7 with prior intimation to Haryana.
It said the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) shall measure the excess water which comes to Hathnikund for its onward supply to Wazirabad and Delhi.
"As and when the surplus water is released with prior information to Haryana by the state of Himachal Pradesh, the state of Haryana shall facilitate the flow of surplus water so released by Himachal Pradesh to Hathnikund and to Wazirabad so that it reaches Delhi uninterruptedly and is made available for the citizens of Delhi for drinking water," the bench ordered.
"A status report be submitted before this court on Monday (June 10)," it said.
It also asked the Delhi government to ensure water received for the parched national capital is not wasted.
The apex court said the Delhi government and the respondents, including Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, shall file their compliance affidavits by Monday.
The bench, which was hearing a plea filed by the Delhi government seeking a direction to Haryana to release the surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital to mitigate its ongoing water crisis, posted the matter for further hearing on June 10.
While hearing the matter on June 3, the apex court had asked for an emergent meeting of the UYRB on June 5 to address the issue.
The UYRB was set up in 1995 with one of its main functions being to regulate the allocation of available flows amongst the beneficiary states and also monitor and review the progress of all projects up to and including Okhla barrage in Delhi. The beneficiary states include Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
During the hearing on Thursday, the bench observed that a meeting was convened on June 5 and issues concerning water crisis faced by Delhi were discussed.
"The above discussions recorded by the board would clearly reveal that the members/stake holders participating in the meeting have not contradicted or disputed that there are extraordinary heat wave conditions in Delhi which is facing acute shortage of drinking water," the bench noted.
It said though the board recorded that Haryana was also facing similar heat wave conditions, there was no material before the court that there was acute drinking water crisis in Haryana.
It noted the board eventually recommended that to meet the drinking water requirements during the present summer season or before the onset of monsoon on June 30, the Delhi government may send a formal request to Haryana to consider releasing 150 cusecs of additional water on humanitarian grounds.
The bench said it can be concluded that the board was of the view that Delhi tentatively needed 150 cusecs of additional water to meet the demand for drinking water.
It said the counsel appearing for Himachal Pradesh has produced before it a chart which includes data of surplus water available there.
"The break-up of the surplus water available with Himachal Pradesh is provided in the document, according to which, between the period from March to June, 137 cusecs surplus water is available with Himachal Pradesh," the bench noted.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, said
"We requested with folded hands. Himachal Pradesh has no objection. Haryana objects. The board at the end says since Haryana objects, you (Delhi) write to Haryana. We wrote to Haryana, we have received no reply. That is the summary of whole thing."
"It is an existential problem," the bench told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee, who was appearing for the Centre.
The ASG referred to the minutes of the meeting and said it has been noted that Haryana has indicated that similar extraordinary heat wave conditions are also prevailing there leading to excessive demand of water, both in rural and urban areas.
The bench told the counsel appearing for Haryana that the Himachal Pradesh government has acknowledged surplus water is available with them.
"Water is to come from Himachal, not from Haryana," the bench said, adding, "There is only (the question of) passage. Please do not stand on this. It is a serious problem. If we don't take cognisance, it will not be proper at all".
Singhvi said Himachal Pradesh has shown grace and magnanimity but Haryana was saying no.
"Tomorrow, there should be no politics that water is released by Himachal Pradesh and it is not supplied by Haryana," the bench said, adding, "there should be no politics on water".
While INDIA bloc partners AAP and Congress rule Delhi and Himachal Pradesh , respectively, Haryana has a BJP government.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
