Delhi facing scarcity of clean water due to Haryana, HC told

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) The AAP government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that the national capital is facing scarcity of clean water due to Haryana which is obstructing the flow of Yamuna river.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) counsel Dayan Krishnan and advocate Sumeet Pushkarna told a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao that the water meant for the city was polluted. Delhi was not getting clean water because Haryana was not allowing clean water to flow into the Yamuna.

The bench asked Haryana and its water department Principal Secretary to file a reply on the matter, listing the matter for further hearing on February 5.

DJB told the court that if urgent steps were not taken on the issue, then the water supply in Central Delhi -- home to VIPs -- will face adverse affect.

DJB has also requested the court to direct Haryana to remove the obstructions put on the DD-8 channel, which carries clean water from the Delhi Sub Branch Canal (DSBC) and the Munak canal into the Yamuna.

It has also sought direction to control the pollutants discharged into the river from factories there.

The court was hearing a plea, filed by advocate S.B. Tripathi, who has sought direction for the DJB to provide 100 per cent sewage facility in the entire city and the Central government to provide financial assistance to the DJB for the work.

The plea said that in 2016, the DJB had told the court that only 55 per cent of the Delhi population was covered with sewage facility and there was no sewage facility available to the remaining 45 per cent.

Tripathi has said as 330 cusecs of water was supplied by Haryana through a "kutcha" canal, 50 per cent of water was being lost due to seepage and Delhi got only about 170-180 cusec water per day.