High Court can't decide on distribution of water between two states

The Delhi government should approach the Centre or the relevant river boards to address the water dispute between Delhi and Haryana over the supply from the Yamuna, the Haryana government has submitted before the Delhi High Court.

In the wake of the summer season, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) petitioned in the High Court for an unrestricted supply of clean water to Delhi and the removal of sand mining blockades from the river. Haryana opposed this request.

The Haryana government asserted that the Delhi government's dispute over the share and allocation of water is not maintainable in court and further stated that the Delhi government or the DJB should raise the issue of any additional water demands with the Upper Yamuna River Board, the Bakhra Beas Management Board, or the Central government in accordance with the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

Haryana government's affidavit said: "In case of Inter-State river water disputes neither this court nor the Supreme Court had the jurisdiction to entertain any such water dispute, which is specifically barred by Section 11 of the Inter-State water disputes Act, 1956 read with Article 262 of the Constitution of India."

The affidavit was submitted by advocate S.B. Tripathi in response to DJB's application in a pending plea from 2013 for clean water and the elimination of bundhs.

In the plea, Haryana was accused of disobeying earlier court directions given in May 2019 to supply Delhi with its fair share of water and to prevent unlawful sand mining.

The DJB, through lawyer Sumit Chander, further asserted that notwithstanding the order, photographs from last month revealed such buildings obstructing the water flow.

The next hearing is listed for May 10. [IANS/JS]