Water woes: Haryana to abide by HC order, withdraws plea from Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: In a breather to water-starved Dwarka suburb of the national capital, Haryana today told the Supreme Court that it will abide by the Delhi High Court order asking it to supply water to the Munak canal.

"We have filed an undertaking to this effect before the Delhi High Court," the counsel for Haryana told a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu and sought withdrawal of its plea against the high court order, which was allowed.

Raising various issues, Haryana, in its plea, had alleged that the High Court order would cause damage to its infrastructure and disrupt water supply to the residents of Gurgaon.

The HC order was also against the Constitution and a provision of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act, it had said.

Earlier, the High Court had pulled up Haryana government and asked it to supply water to the Munak canal, the lifeline of water-starved Dwarka sub-city of the national capital.

The apex court, while issuing notice to Delhi Government, had asked Haryana to comply "with the orders and directions issued by the High Court in the impugned order."

"Insofar as observation regarding closing the diversion at drain No.8 by Haryana and the supply to the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant is concerned, we request the judges of the High Court to hear the counsel appearing for both the State of Haryana as well as the State of Delhi and then take a positive decision in the matter," it had said.

The high court, which has been hearing a PIL, was told by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that the Munak canal has been completed but not commissioned and the water supplied by Haryana to Delhi is through a 'kachcha' canal which results in seepage and translates to 50 per cent of water loss.

80 million gallons per day (MGD) of water would be saved if water is channelised properly. There is a dispute between Delhi and Haryana with respect to sharing of water, DJB had said.

The court had then questioned Haryana's refusal to supply water to Munak canal and said it will not allow any more wastage of water.

Haryana had moved the apex court against the HC order.

Earlier, the High Court had expressed concern over the dispute and said "it was tragic that Haryana and Delhi were locked in a battle while 80 million gallons per day (MGD) were being lost and citizens deprived of drinking water."

The court has been hearing a PIL seeking commissioning of the 102-km Munak canal, which was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around Rs 400 crore from Delhi government on the condition that the national capital will be supplied 80 MGD water from it.

In a similar matter related to Munak Canal, the high court had granted permission to DJB for carrying out laying of pipeline through a former army officer's property.