The water scarcity crisis in Delhi has ignited a political firestorm, with accusations and counter-accusations flying between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amid escalating tensions, Delhi Water Minister Atishi faced allegations of dishonesty from the BJP, while she, in turn, accused the BJP-ruled Haryana government of deceit. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena also weighed in, criticizing the AAP for allegedly distorting facts.
In a heated exchange, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva targeted Atishi and the AAP government, questioning their inability to address pipeline repairs and water theft despite being in power for over a decade. Sachdeva insinuated that corruption allegations, particularly the recent liquor scam involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, further eroded public trust in the AAP’s governance.
“Water theft is taking place with the protection of the Delhi government. If anybody is responsible for the people of Delhi having to suffer because of the lack of water, it is the Delhi Jal Board, its officials and the Delhi government,” Sachdeva asserted.
In response, Atishi reiterated her claim that Haryana was withholding Delhi’s water share through the Munak canal. She cited Supreme Court directives urging Haryana to release water from Himachal Pradesh, yet the Wazirabad Barrage’s water levels continued to decline. Atishi accused Haryana of flouting agreements by providing less water than mandated by the Upper Yamuna River Board, alleging discrepancies between Haryana’s assertions and its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court.
Highlighting her intention to present evidence before the Supreme Court and correspond with the Haryana chief minister, Atishi emphasized the urgency of the situation.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Saxena intervened, affirming that Haryana was meeting its obligation to supply water to Delhi. He cited assurances from Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini regarding the consistent release of Delhi’s water share, despite Haryana facing its own challenges amidst a heatwave.
Saxena’s assertion came after a meeting with Atishi and her cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj, during which he pledged to address the water supply issue with Haryana. However, he urged against engaging in a blame game, suggesting a cooperative approach to resolving the crisis.
