In a major setback to Haryana's request for re-assessing Delhi's demand for water, the Upper Yamuna River Board has not just turned down the appeal but insisted that Haryana stick to the 1996 Supreme Court order directing it to release the required quantum of water to the national Capital. In a letter to the Engineer-in-Chief of the Haryana Irrigation Department, M.K. Gupta, the Upper Yamuna River Board has asked the State to adhere to the 1996 order and restore without any delay the water supply to the Capital. Dismissing Haryana's concerns questioning the competence and jurisdiction of the two-judge Bench that passed the order, the Board has drawn attention to the intervention application that is still pending in court. "There is an intervention application pertaining to the 1996 Supreme Court order already filed and awaiting final decision. The Upper Yamuna River Board has said that till the time a final call is taken on the issue, Haryana will have to release waster that is necessary to maintain the pond level at Wazirabad,' said sources privy to the information. The Board has also dismissed Haryana's allegation that the Delhi Jal Board has been lifting water through pumps at the Sangam pumping station. "The letter says the Sangam pumping station has been inspected by a Board official. And following inspection and verification of the logbooks, the Board has learnt that there has been no lifting of water from the place in the past four months,' said sources. The Board has also rejected Haryana's claims that the groundwater levels at Palla have been depleted by the tube-wells that have been bored by the Delhi Jal Board in the area. Citing a study by the National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, the Upper Yamuna River Board claims that the Yamuna's contribution to the groundwater is also not significant. "All the issues that Haryana had used to justify its decision to curtail water supply to Delhi have been summarily written off by the Upper Yamuna River Board. The Central Water Commission has already directed the State to restore water supply. A letter has also been sent to the Prime Minister by the Delhi Chief Minister. It is only a matter of time before a public interest litigation is filed in the courts or some organisation moves the Supreme Court for evoking contempt proceedings against Haryana,' said sources.