Supreme Court Directs Himachal Pradesh To Release Surplus Water To Delhi

On Thursday, the Supreme Court instructed Himachal Pradesh to release surplus water to Delhi on June 7, with prior notice to Haryana. The court also directed Haryana to ensure that the water reaches Delhi without any obstruction. Furthermore, the Supreme Court emphasized that there should be no wastage of water by the Delhi government and requested a status report by June 10.

A vacation bench consisting of Justices P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan noted that the Himachal Pradesh government has no objections and is prepared to release the surplus water it has available.

The Supreme Court was addressing a plea from the Delhi government, which sought a directive for Haryana to release surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to alleviate Delhi’s ongoing water crisis. During the hearing, the Supreme Court stated, “Since Himachal has no objection, we direct that it shall transfer 137 cusecs from upstream so water reaches Hathnikund barrage and reaches Delhi through Wazirabad. As and when the surplus water is released by the State of Himachal Pradesh with prior intimation, the State of Haryana shall facilitate the flow of water from Hathnikund to Wazirabad so it reaches Delhi without obstruction so the residents get drinking water.”

The plea included the Centre, BJP-governed Haryana, and Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh as parties to the petition, highlighting that access to water is essential for survival and is a fundamental human right.

The Supreme Court allowed Himachal Pradesh to release 137 cusecs of surplus water and instructed Haryana to ensure the water flows uninterrupted from Hathnikund to Wazirabad, reaching Delhi. Additionally, the court asked the Upper Yamuna River Board to measure the water released by Himachal Pradesh at Hathnikund.