On the eve of the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) locked horns over acute water shortage in Delhi at a time when the city is grappling with an intense heatwave, with maximum temperature hovering around 50 degrees Celsius for the past few days.
The AAP government accused Haryana of not releasing adequate water causing the water levels to dip. On Thursday Delhi minister Atishi wrote a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighting the alarming decrease in water levels at the Wazirabad barrage due to Haryana's failure to release the required quantity into the Yamuna river.
Delhi BJP leaders and workers who staged a protest from Shahidi Park up to the central secretariat over the water scarcity in the capital rubbished the allegations. Blaming the AAP government for the water crisis, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Haryana is supplying more water to the city than agreed upon.
“Just a few days ago officials from the Delhi government returned satisfied with the water levels. The question arises, what is the reason for the supply crisis in Delhi when it is receiving more water than promised? Water is being wasted and stolen and the Delhi government has completely failed to stop this wastage and theft,” Sachdeva alleged while accusing the AAP of colluding with the tanker mafia.
In response, Delhi minister Atishi appealed to the BJP to refrain from doing politics on the issue and instead urged its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to release additional water until the monsoon to alleviate the severe water crisis gripping the national capital.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the day expressed similar sentiments, emphasising the need for constructive cooperation rather than politicising the issue. “I request everyone with folded hands that instead of doing politics at this time, let us together provide relief to the people of Delhi,” Kejriwal said on X.
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 and accused the saffron party of engaging in dirty politics at a time when unity and collaboration are crucial.
The Delhi government on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking the supply of additional water from Haryana to the crisis-hit national capital. The AAP government stated in the petition that the water demand in the city has risen significantly due to heatwave conditions and it is the responsibility of all to work towards fulfilling the water needs of Delhi.
Meanwhile, Delhi LG V.K. Saxena accused the AAP government of blaming other states for its alleged failures. “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,” Saxena was quoted as saying.
