Delhi water crisis: Atishi begins indefinite hunger strike, says ‘made all efforts, left with no choice’

Delhi water crisis: Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Friday, June 21, started an indefinite hunger strike to demand 100 million gallons of water per day from Haryana. The minister said she was forced to go on strike as her appeal to the Haryana government and a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help did not yield any results, and Delhi was not getting its share of water.

Atishi was accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and other party leaders as she paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat before heading to Bhogal, where she sat on an indefinite hunger strike.

"As water minister, I made all efforts to get water for Delhi; am left with no choice now but to start an indefinite hunger strike as I am unable to watch the plight of the men, women and children of Delhi. This indefinite Jal Satyagrah will continue till Delhi people get water from Haryana," PTI quoted Atishi as saying. Water scarcity has added to the troubles as scorching heatwaves continue to take a toll on Delhi residents.

She asserted that the strike would continue until the Haryana government gave in to Delhi's demands. She added, “This hunger strike will continue till the Haryana government gives Delhi its due share of water.”

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, also accompanied Delhi Education Minister Atishi, who began an indefinite fast.

Sunita Kejriwal said, “To appeal to the Haryana government, Delhi Minister Atishi is going to do ‘satyagraha’ for an indefinite period. She will not eat anything and only take water. She is doing this for the thirsty people of Delhi," Sunita Kejriwal said, according to the PTI report.

Sunita Kejriwal read out a message from the chief minister, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail. She said, "CM Arvind Kejriwal says that he is pained to see on TV the suffering of the people of Delhi. He hopes that Atishi’s penance will be successful and the public will get some relief.”

Atishi alleged that Haryana supplied 513 MGD instead of 613 MGD water to Delhi in the last two weeks. This creates water shortage for over 28 lakh people. She further accused Haryana of increasing Delhi's restricted water supply share from 100 MGD to 120 MGD in the last two days.

(With PTI inputs)