Delhi Minister Atishi has announced a big step to protest the water crisis in the national capital. The AAP government in Delhi has been alleging that the crisis has been worsened by the Haryana government's reluctance to release water for the national capital. Atishi on Wednesday said that she would sit on an indefinite fast if the crisis is not resolved.
She said that she had spoken to the Himachal Pradesh government, which had agreed to release its surplus amount for Delhi. "However, even that water can reach Delhi via Haryana... Delhi is going through an unprecedented heatwave. People of Delhi need more water now... We need to understand that the total water supply in Delhi is 1,050 MGD. Out of this, 613 MGD water comes from Haryana. On Tuesday, Haryana released 513 MGD, which was 100 MGD less. This translates to 28 lakh people in Delhi getting less water," Atishi said.
She said: "I have written to PM Modi and requested him to arrange water for the people of Delhi. If the people of Delhi don't get water by June 21, I shall start a 'satyagrah'. I shall sit on an indefinite fast till the time people of Delhi get water."
The BJP and Congress have been staging protests in Delhi over the acute shortage of water. The Delhi government is trying to meet the water requirements of Delhiites using water tankers. Various localities in Delhi are regularly witnessing long queues near water tankers.
The water requirement has increased in the wake of an unprecedented heatwave in North India. Temperatures in the capital even breached the 50 degrees Celsius mark in some places.