Delhi Water Crisis: DJB Office Vandalised, People Queue Up For Water As AAP And BJP Trade Blame — Updates

Delhi Water Crisis Update: As Delhi faces a water crisis amid a heatwave, Water Minister Atishi sought police protection for critical pipelines. The Delhi Jal Board office was vandalised amid a BJP protest.

Delhi Water Crisis Update: As Delhi grapples with a severe water crisis amidst a punishing heatwave, Water Minister Atishi has urged the police for enhanced protection of the city's major water pipelines reporting leakage in a major leak in the South Delhi Rising Mains. In a letter to Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Sunday, Atishi detailed the situation, citing a significant drop in water production due to decreased supply from the Yamuna, leading to widespread shortages.

At a press conference on Sunday, the Delhi Water Minister claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was intentionally disrupting the national capital’s water supply amid a severe heatwave as she accused the Haryana government of deliberately reducing water supply to Delhi. “You go to Wazirabad barrage, there is not a drop of water. You go to Munak canal, instead of 1,050 cusecs, only 900 cusecs of water is coming,” she said, as quoted by news agency PTI. “If the BJP people will not provide water to Delhi, if water will not reach the treatment plant, then how will the people of Delhi be supplied?”

Meanwhile, the Delhi police officials denied a leakage in the Delhi Jal Board pipelines in the Yamuna Khadar area of North East Delhi.

Delhi Water Crisis Update: DJB Office Vandalised In Chhatarpur, AAP And BJP Trade Blame

• Unidentified individuals on Sunday vandalised the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in Chhatarpur during a protest by the BJP. Footage shared on social media showed broken window panes and shattered earthen pots at the scene. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP leaders and workers of "hooliganism".
  
  "Open hooliganism by BJP leaders and workers ‼️ See how BJP workers are breaking the office of Delhi Jal Board while raising slogans of 'BJP Zindabad' 👇 On one hand, the BJP government of Haryana is stopping the water that is Delhi's right, while on the other hand, the BJP is damaging the property of the people of Delhi. Why do they hate the people of Delhi so much?" the AAP stated, blaming the BJP for both hindering Delhi's water supply from Haryana and damaging public property.
  
  
  Meanwhile, former MP Ramesh Bidhuri was present at the site said, "A drama is being conducted by Arvind Kejriwal's people. They sit in air-conditioned rooms but are oblivion of the reality on the ground. When there is flood, they blame Haryana, when there is shortage, they blame Haryana. Why are they sitting in government? They did not prepare for it. They are only indulged in doing corruption. People are suffering for incompetency of government", as quoted by news agency PTI.
  
  


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  On the vandalism incident, Atishi said, “The BJP goons vandalised the DJB office, threw stones, threw 'matkas' (earthen pots) and indulged in outright high-handedness.” She added, “None other than BJP's former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri went to the DJB office with goons. The people accompanying him are carrying BJP flags as BJP flags are visible in the background.”

  
  

  Atishi confirmed that a complaint had been lodged with the Delhi Police and the Deputy Commissioner of South Delhi, urging them to file an FIR against Bidhuri and others involved, PTI reported. 

  
  
  


• As temperatures soar to a record 47 degrees Celsius, residents in areas like Okhla and Govindpuri are facing acute water shortages, relying on tanker supplies. The heatwave has significantly increased water demand, compounding the crisis and leading to long queues for water distribution.
  
  
  
  
  


•  The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has deployed patrol teams to monitor the main distribution network, which transports raw water to Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) and subsequently to underground reservoirs citywide. Additionally, teams supervised by Assistant Divisional Magistrates are supporting these efforts.
  
  On Saturday, DJB's ground patrol discovered a major leak in the South Delhi Rising Mains near the DTL substation in Garhi Medhu. "Our patrolling team found that several large 375 mm bolts and one 12-inch bolt had been cut from the pipeline, causing the leakage," Atishi stated, claiming foul play. She requested police deployment for the next 15 days to prevent further tampering, which could exacerbate the water crisis.


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  During a presser, Atishi further alleged that BJP leaders were involved in vandalising the main pipeline from the Sonia Vihar treatment plant to South Delhi. “Yesterday, the main pipeline that supplies water to South Delhi from Sonia Vihar was broken without any reason. Long bolts were cut and taken out from that pipeline. Did this happen on its own? Or was this another part of a conspiracy under which water pipelines are being damaged?” she questioned.

  
  


• Speaking to news agency ANI, the Delhi Minister slammed the BJP saying, "It is well known who is hatching a conspiracy against the Delhi Government and the Arvind Kejriwal Government. But this is not the time for allegations and counter-allegations, this is not the time for dirty politics..."
  
  "Look, if the BJP finds satisfaction in abusing you, me, and Arvind Kejriwal, then that’s fine. We know that BJP members hate us, but now they have started hating the people of Delhi as well because there is a BJP government in Haryana. If they talk to the Haryana government even once, I am fully confident that the Haryana government will start releasing water… There is a whole lifetime for accusations and counter-accusations; this is the time to work for the people of Delhi. I urge the BJP to request the Haryana government to release water for Delhi," she added.
  
  
  


• On the other hand, Delhi Police officials on Sunday inspected the Jal Board pipelines in the Yamuna Khadar area of northeast Delhi and stated that there was no leakage. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Lokendra Sirohi told ANI, "There is no leakage here. If there is any leakage, we will inform the Jal Board and our control room."
  
  
  


• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest on Sunday, criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP of mismanagement, claiming, "When Arvind Kejriwal became the chief minister, the DJB was in profit. Now, it is in huge debt, and all AAP ministers are stealing water and running a tanker mafia."
  
  BJP MP-elect from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari also took part in 'matka-phod' protest.
  
  
  BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, addressing the protest, remarked, "Every single day, I get calls about water shortages. Despite a processing capacity of 990 MGD, the AAP keeps asking for more water while 40% gets wasted. They promote an illegal water tanker mafia."

• In a related development, AAP MLAs, including Rakhi Birla, visited Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil's residence, demanding his intervention. "It's unfortunate we are unable to meet Minister CR Patil. We urge him to address Delhi's water shortage," Birla said, as quoted by ANI.
  
  


• Earlier, the Delhi Congress, led by Devender Yadav, conducted 'matka phod' protests across the city on Saturday, symbolically breaking earthen pots to highlight the water scarcity. "We demand a special session of the assembly to discuss this pressing issue," Yadav declared, as per PTI.