Delhi Water Crisis: Atishi Slams BJP Protest, L-G Says AAP Govt ‘Blaming Other States For Failures’

Delhi is facing an acute water shortage, with the AAP government accusing Haryana of not releasing the national capital's share of water. The BJP, on the other hand, has blamed the AAP govt for the water crisis.

File photo of Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Delhi Minister Atishi on Friday appealed to the BJP to refrain from engaging in political gamesmanship and instead urged its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to release additional water to alleviate the severe water crisis gripping the national capital during the ongoing heatwave.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the day expressed similar sentiments, emphasising the need for constructive cooperation rather than political maneuvering. He urged the BJP to appeal to its party-run administrations in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to extend support by providing extra water until the arrival of the monsoon.

Delhi is facing an acute water shortage, with the AAP government accusing Haryana of not releasing the national capital's share of water.

The BJP, on the other hand, has blamed the AAP government for the water crisis and claimed that Haryana is supplying the city 1,049 cusecs of water from the Yamuna that exceeds the agreed-upon quantity.

During a virtual press conference, Atishi criticised the BJP for staging a protest outside the Delhi Secretariat amidst the severe heatwave and water shortages plaguing the city. She accused the BJP of engaging in dirty politics at a time when unity and collaboration are crucial.

Atishi stressed the need for solidarity and urged the BJP to appeal to its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to provide additional water to Delhi during this crisis period.

दिल्ली में पानी की किल्लत पर जलमंत्री @atishiaap की डिजिटल प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस l LIVE https://t.co/IRVfRf5ync

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 31, 2024

She said that it is the responsibility of all parties to prioritise the welfare of Delhi's residents over political gains. Atishi urged the BJP to take immediate action by requesting extra water from the respective state governments to provide relief to the people of Delhi until the onset of the monsoon.

In a letter addressed to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on May 30, Atishi highlighted the alarming decrease in water levels at the Wazirabad barrage in recent days due to Haryana's failure to release the required quantity into the Yamuna river.

She emphasised the urgent need for immediate action to address the unprecedented water shortage affecting the national capital.

‘Delhi Govt Blaming Other States For Its Failures’: LG VK Saxena

Delhi LG VK Saxena criticised the AAP government in Delhi, accusing it of blaming other state governments for its alleged failures.

According to news agency ANI, he said, "From the last few days, we can see the irresponsible attitude of the Delhi government towards the water crisis in Delhi. Today in Delhi, people are seen risking their lives and running behind tankers to get water. But the government is blaming other states for its failures. The Chief Minister's promise of 24-hour water supply in Delhi has so far proved to be a trick. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are continuously supplying their fixed quota of water to Delhi".

"Despite this, the biggest reason for the severe shortage of water in Delhi today is that fifty-four per cent of the water produced is not accounted for. 40 per cent of water is wasted during supply due to old and dilapidated pipelines. Thousands of crores of rupees have been spent by the Delhi government in the last 10 years, but the old pipelines could not be repaired or replaced and not enough pipes were laid. This water is stolen and sold to the poor by the tanker mafia. How unfortunate is this that while on the one hand, in the rich areas of Delhi, an average of 550 litres of water is being supplied per person per day, on the other hand, only fifteen litres of water per person is being supplied on an average in the villages and slums," he added.

Delhi LG, VK Saxena says, "From the last few days, we can see the irresponsible attitude of the Delhi government towards the water crisis in Delhi. Today in Delhi, people are seen risking their lives and running behind tankers to get water. But the government is blaming other… pic.twitter.com/yZbZSaMjxy

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2024

Delhi CM Kejriwal Slams BJP Govts In UP, Haryana

CM Kejriwal, in a post in Hindi on X, also backed Atishi, "Delhi is experiencing unprecedented heat due to which there is a shortage of water in the city and the people are troubled. But even at such a time, the BJP is indulging in dirty politics", he said.

इस बार पूरे देश में अभूतपूर्व गर्मी पड़ रही है जिसकी वजह से देश भर में पानी और बिजली का संकट हो गया है। पिछले वर्ष, दिल्ली में बिजली की पीक डिमांड 7438 MW थी। इसके मुक़ाबले इस साल पीक डिमांड 8302 MW तक पहुँच गयी है। पर इसके बावजूद दिल्ली में बिजली की स्थिति नियंत्रण में है, अन्य…

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 31, 2024

"In this emergency situation, instead of indulging in dirty politics, the BJP needs to appeal to its own governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to provide some extra water to Delhi until the monsoon arrives. This is not the time to indulge in cheap politics but to work towards providing relief to people in the country's capital," he added.