As serious water crisis grapples the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party and accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led government of using the water scarcity issue as an opportunity to blame neighbouring states. Asking Delhi government to work in a harmonious way with states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for its water needs, Saxena said, “No general has ever won a war by fighting with his own army.”
He then went on to say that the politically elected government’s hostility spills over to its own officers and thereby singularly deflects attention from the inadequacy of its own political leadership.
In an official statement, the Delhi LG said, “The shrill discourse of the Ministers of the GNCTD over the last few weeks, has been distressing and questionable at various levels. Drinking water supply has become a challenge in the national capital in the backdrop of a searing heat wave, which has gripped northern India. Political leaders of Delhi have turned a crisis into an opportunity for blaming neighbouring states, with the sole aim of gaining political mileage.”
He further claimed that this has only ended up “compounding the problems of the residents of Delhi and antagonizing the neighbouring states, who are themselves grappling with water scarcity.”
Saxena also pointed out that Delhi is dependent on drinking water supply from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and that interstate water sharing arrangements are settled through institutional mechanisms created by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. He also said that the states are bound to release water as per agreements signed under this framework.
“At the same time, the city government is under an obligation to ensure that this water resource is used efficiently to ensure equitable supplies across the city. Unfortunately, neither has the city government, demonstrated seriousness in ensuring improvement in water networks and augmentation of capacity, nor has it chosen a path of dialogue,” he added.
Saxena also underscored the fact that since the last 10 years, the AAP Government did not add a single litre to the water treatment capacity, which it had inherited from its predecessor Sheila Dikshit Government. He also claimed that the supply and distribution network of pipelines are old and leaking.
“DJB should have invested resources in repairs and replacement of old lines, which has resulted in avoidable leakages and thefts. By the Government’s own admission, in its Economic Survey, the unaccounted for water in Delhi is to the tune of 54%. 40% of water is wasted. A network of illegal tankers operated by “tanker mafia” under political patronage is bleeding the city. This happened even as Haryana kept supplying the share of water assigned to it,” the LG’s statement read.
The Lieutenant Governor also mentioned about the ‘heart rending’ scenes of people running after tankers and incidents of water shortage, and that this sight not new in Delhi.
AAP Hits Back
Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj responded to the LG’s statement on water crisis said that the LG has ignored the efforts of the Kejriwal government to modernize Delhi’s distribution system and prevent water losses in the last 9 years.
He also said that he agreed with Delhi LG that governance should be conducted in a harmonious environment, with a spirit of conciliation and accommodation. He further said, “But we are unable to understand why does the LG not hold the BJP-ruled Haryana government to the same yardstick, despite being fully aware that the Haryana government has been blocking over 100 MGD of Delhi’s rightful share of water for the past many days.”
Further, the AAP leader summarized the Kejriwal government’s efforts towards water distribution system in the national capital, that was submitted to the Supreme Court.
Amid the blaring heat, residents in several areas of the national capital continue to face severe water shortages as many people line up in queues to collect water from tankers. The areas which have particularly witnessed water cuts are Chilla Gaon in Mayur Vihar, Sanjay Colony in Okhla, and Geeta Colony.
Atishi, who is sitting on an indefinite hunger strike in south Delhi’s Bhogal, said she will continue to fast till 28 lakh people of Delhi do not get their share of water from Haryana.
The AAP minister began her indefinite hunger strike on Friday to press on her demand for more water from Haryana.
Delhi is facing an unprecedented heatwave, as a result of which the water demand has increased. The issues of water theft and the role of private tankers in aggravating the water crisis have seen the BJP and the AAP taking potshots at each other.
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