E-Paper
Haryana opposes forming GoM to look into its dispute with Delhi
The Haryana government has opposed the constitution of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into the dispute over the allocation of additional 80 million gallons daily (MGD) of raw water for the National Capital through the newly constructed Munak-Haiderpur channel.
The Haryana government has opposed the constitution of a GoM to look into the dispute over the allocation of additional 80 million gallons daily (MGD) of raw water to Delhi through the newly constructed Munak-Haiderpur channel.
Even though the first meeting of the GoM headed by home minister P Chidambaram was held last week, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has written to the prime minister Manmohan Singh opposing the move.
“People of Haryana were already aggrieved because of non-completion of SYL canal and non-implementation of various orders of Supreme Court. Any further diversion of water to Delhi out of the limited quantity of water available to Haryana is bound to adversely affect food production and also give rise to resentment among affected people of the state,” Hooda wrote.
The GoM has been set up by the prime minister to look into the dispute over allocation of additional water by Haryana to the National Capital through the Munak-Haiderpur concrete-lined channel.
While Haryana government has said that Delhi government has no locus standi in claiming additional water since it was already getting more than its entitlement, the Delhi government has demanded 80 MGD more, saying that it has contributed over R300 crore for the construction of the channel falling in its territory. Haryana on the other hand has said that for constructing this channel, land was acquired from the state’s farmers, causing them economic loss and inconvenience.
Hooda said that the Delhi government has no locus standi to demand 80 MGD additional water on account of construction of the channel as it was already enjoying additional water to the tune of 200-300 MGD as per the orders of the Supreme Court.
The issue regarding the projected saving of 80 MGD of raw water due to the construction of Munak-Haiderpur channel was earlier deliberated in a meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) in November 2009. Both Haryana and Delhi were directed to resolve the matter bilaterally.
During a meeting of the chief secretaries of the two states in January 2010, it was pointed out that Haryana was releasing much more water over and above the allocation of Delhi as per a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1994.
