Water: Haryana agrees to help Delhi (Times Of India 19 June 2012)

NEW DELHI: Respite from prolonged water shortage is in sight for parched Delhi with Haryana on Monday agreeing to release enough water to help the capital tide over its crisis while not losing sight of its own needs.
An easing of hostilities between Delhi and Haryana came after a meeting convened by the Centre and attended by chief ministers Shiela Dikshit and Bhupinder Hooda. It was agreed that the reservoir levels at Wazirabad and Haiderpur plants in Delhi will be maintained in keeping with Supreme Court orders. Importantly, Haryana agreed to additional releases to help meet Delhi's 55 MGD shortfall in the immediate future.
"The meeting was positive. Haryana will do what it can to help Delhi. Of course, Haryana will be conscious of its own requirements as it is also facing shortages in the hot season," water resources minister Pawan Bansal told TOI.
After the meeting, that saw some sharp exchanges between Haryana and Delhi CMs, Hooda told the media, "We are aware that there is a crisis in Delhi. We will provide enough water to capital. Whenever there is a crisis both governments will find a way out."
Given sensitivities involved, no quantum of release was specified although Haryana argued that it was releasing more than Delhi's share at present. Dikshit was vociferous in demanding that Delhi's needs be met. However, the meeting ended on a more cordial note with Hooda agreeing to keep the capital's requirements in mind.
Sources said a breakthrough was achieved because Bansal focused on addressing the immediate situation while segregating the more complex aspects of the dispute like monitoring water flows and verifying claims of water diversion and losses. This would be done by central engineers who will visit sites in Haryana.
The two sides were urged not to go to the media with their disputes. And both agreed that in the future they will work in consultation and not allow matters to take an ugly turn as in the present case.
The charges exchanged in the recent past saw Hooda tell the media later that he had never refused to take a call from his Delhi counterpart. Central officials were concerned about political blame games spilling out of hand.
After the meeting convened by Bansal and also attended by PMO officials, separate discussions followed till late night between officials from both states where a plan of action to deal with the problem was thrashed out. The Upper Yamuna River Board has been assigned the task of monitoring the release of water at Haryana and utilization by Delhi, a report on which will be submitted to the water resources minister shortly. A team of 24 officials will be involved in the task and measure intake at treatment plants like Wazirabad, Haiderpur and Chandrawal.
The UYRB will also look for a solution to the primary bone of contention between the two states over the Munak canal. Delhi, which has spent over Rs 500 crore for the construction of the canal, has been asking Haryana to continue releasing the same amount of water as it does through the present channel. The capital will benefit from 80 MGD of water which it is losing through large scale leakages in the existing canal. Haryana claims that there was never any such proposal and it will not allow Delhi to benefit from this water. It is also asking for the closure of a cut in the canal at Iradatnagar that Delhi created a few years earlier. As per a group of ministers order, the cut needs to be closed immediately.

Meanwhile, Delhi Jal Board reported a slight rise in the Wazirabad pond level on Monday morning. Dikshit also instructed DJB and NDMC to reduce water supply to the Lutyens' Bungalows area, including her residence, to ensure an equitable supply till the water situation did not improve.