Delhi water crisis: ‘I will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for people in city,’ says AAP’s Atishi

Delhi Water Minister Atishi has continued her indefinite fast into its second Saturday day, protesting the national capital's water crisis.

In a video message from her 'Jal Satyagrah' venue at Bhogal in south Delhi, Atishi stated, "I will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people in the city, 28 lakh of whom are suffering from water shortage."

The minister initiated her fast on Friday, claiming that Haryana was not providing Delhi with its rightful share of water from the Yamuna river. She pointed out that Haryana released 110 million gallons per day (MGD) less water on Friday.

"One MGD water provides for 28,000 people. Shortage of 100 MGD water means 28 lakh people are not getting water in Delhi," she explained.

Atishi emphasized that Delhi relies on neighbouring states for water, receiving 1,005 MGD from rivers and canals, with Haryana contributing 613 MGD. However, she noted that Haryana has reduced its supply to 513 MGD for several weeks due to the extreme summer heat, impacting over 28 lakh people.

On Saturday, long lines of residents were seen waiting to collect water from tankers across various parts of the city as the summer heat persisted. People from Chilla Gaon in Mayur Vihar, Sanjay Colony in Okhla, and Geeta Colony were queuing up with cans and buckets amid the ongoing water shortage.

Amid soaring temperatures, such scenes have become common in many areas of Delhi since the start of this summer.

Meanwhile, in the political arena, Delhi's Water Minister Atishi sat on an indefinite hunger strike on Friday, accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and other party members at Bhogal, near Jangpura.

Before heading to Bhogal, she paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

In a message read by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, from the Chief Minister, who is currently under judicial custody, it was conveyed that Arvind Kejriwal is deeply affected by the water scarcity in Delhi.

"Kejriwal says that when I see on TV, the way Delhi people are suffering due to water scarcity, it hurts me. I hope Atishi's 'tapasya' will succeed and that residents of Delhi will be relieved. I wish all the best to Atishi; may God protect her," stated Sunita Kejriwal.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the Delhi government over the water crisis. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused the AAP government of orchestrating the crisis to "encourage corruption."

"It almost seems that this crisis, which is not a natural crisis, has been orchestrated by the Kejriwal government to encourage their own corruption as well as to encourage the illegal tanker mafia," Bansuri Swaraj told ANI.

"Delhi is in a dire state. The entire city is dried, and the Kejriwal government indulges only in theatrics. Delhi minister Atishi, instead of working on the ground and instead of taking any adequate steps, is now indulging in mere theatrics and is now threatening Delhiites with anshan (fast)," she added.