Delhi Water Crisis: AAP makes ’humanitarian appeal’ to Haryana, urges Centre’s intervention as residents battle heatwave

The AAP-led Delhi government issued a ‘humanitarian’ appeal on Saturday for Haryana to discharge additional water into the Yamuna. The national capital has been facing a severe shortage amid heatwave conditions in recent days. Water Minister Atishi said the city was facing a shortage of 70 million gallons per day in production due to lack of raw water in the Munak canal and Wazirabad reservoir.

“Delhi has made a humanitarian appeal to Haryana, urging the state to release some additional water for Delhi... Delhi government officers have also talked to Haryana Government officers, and on all probability, a delegation of senior officers of Delhi will travel to Chandigarh and meet Haryana officers... I even urge the Delhi people to consciously and carefully use the available water,” she urged during a press conference on Saturday. 

The Delhi government has already secured a promise of support from the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government. However the calculation of data on the availability of water from Himachal Pradesh is yet to be done by the Board and could take some time. Himachal Pradesh government has indicated 130 cusec surplus water out of its share of the Upper Yamuna water.

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Meanwhile the BJP has blamed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government for the ongoing water scarcity amid persistent a heatwave. 

“Since the last 10 years, people of Delhi are facing water crisis and Arvind Kejriwal's government is responsible for this. Water Minister Atishi's only job is to tell lies...till 2013, Delhi Jal Board used to be in profit but today it is in debt of ₹82,000 crores, the whole money has gone to powerful people through the tanker mafia...Atishi should stop defaming Haryana,” insisted BJP MP Yogender Chandoliya.

(With inputs from agencies)