More than 24 hours after Delhi minister Atishi accused Haryana govt of deliberately and illegally halting the water supply to the national capital, state irrigation and water resources minister Rao Abhay Singh Yadav has reiterated that Haryana is sensitive enough to adhere to the mandate of the Supreme Court as well as issues of Delhi and its residents

“We have produced the records of supplying 1,049 cusecs of mandated water to Delhi daily.For us, it is an issue of the capital and its residents. It is our moral responsibility to ensure that people get their legitimate right of water,” said Rao.

Raking up the issue of completion of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Yadav said, “While we are giving the mandated water supply to Delhi by honouring the verdict of the Supreme Court, what about them (referring to AAP govts in Delhi and Punjab)? Had they done their bit in completing the canal, Haryana would have been liberal in supplying more water even after completing needs of parched southern Haryana,” he said.
Officials of the irrigation and water resources department said that even the apex court has raised the issue of water wastage in Delhi, mentioning about the “tanker mafia”. “Even in the internal audit of Delhi Jal Board, it was highlighted that at least 50% of water is wasted in Delhi. The second issue is gauging the water flow. Their officers too are present when readings are taken daily,” said an official.