Water Crisis: SC slams Delhi govt, asks what action it has taken against tanker mafia in city

Water Crisis: The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised the Delhi government for the prevalence of tanker mafias and water wastage in the city, questioning the measures it has taken against these issues.

A vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale warned the Delhi government that if it cannot handle the tanker mafias, the court will direct the Delhi Police to take action.

“Why were false statements made before this court? Water is coming from Himachal Pradesh, so where is it going in Delhi? There is so much spillage, tanker mafias, etc. What measures have you taken in this regard?” the bench questioned.

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“People are suffering, and we are seeing visuals on every news channel. What measures have you taken to control water wastage if water scarcity is a recurring problem in summers?” the bench observed orally.

Advocate Shadan Farasat, representing the Delhi government, stated that actions have been taken, including massive disconnections of water supplies, to prevent excess water wastage.

The Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to file a report detailing the actions taken to address water loss. The matter will be reviewed on Thursday.

The court is hearing a plea filed by the Delhi government seeking a direction to Haryana to release the surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital to mitigate its water crisis. (With inputs from PTI)