Delhi water crisis: ‘Tanker mafia operational on Haryana side,’ says Delhi govt to Supreme Court

The Delhi government, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, on the water crisis in the national capital, has said that the water tanker mafia has been entering the city limits from the Haryana side. The Aam Aadmi Party government said it was unable to take action against the water mafia due to jurisdiction issues. 

"As regards to any news reports or references of an alleged 'tanker mafia', such illicit pilferage of water is taking place prior to the water reaching the CLC or DSB. In other words, the tanker mafia is operational on the Haryana side of the Yamuna river and the Petitioner lacks jurisdiction to act against the same," the affidavit mentioned.

The Delhi government said that it is for Haryana to explain what steps it has taken to preserve full supply of water to Delhi between the point of release and the point of receipt. 

"The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has prepared a comprehensive blueprint for augmenting water supplies in the NCT of Delhi. This plan has been prepared keeping in mind the water scarcity faced by Delhi every year and the sharp rise in population in the city," it mentioned.

The affidavit comes after the Supreme Court rapped the Delhi government for the water shortage crisis on Wednesday. The court had told the government that if they are unable to deal with the menace of the water tanker mafia, then the Delhi Police would be roped in. 

“People are suffering, 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,” a vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale asked the Delhi government on Wednesday. The bench underscored that the matter had come up in 2018, 2019 and 2020 too. 

The Lieutenant Governor Secretariat wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner after the Supreme Court’s observations, asking him to take action against the tanker mafia indulging in the theft of water from the Munak canal.