'Water being stolen under AAP govt protection': Delhi BJP on severe crisis

The Aam Aadmi Party has accused Haryana of not releasing adequate water to Delhi — a claim that the neighbouring state denied.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday trained guns at the Delhi government amid an escalating water crisis in the capital, accusing it of failing to manage the city's water resources effectively and alleging corruption within the Delhi Jal Board.

Residents fill water from a tanker amid water crisis, at the Vivekanand Camp, Chanakyapuri area, in New Delhi, Thursday, June, 6, 2024. (PTI)

"Water is being stolen under the Delhi government's protection. The Delhi Jal Board, its officers, chairman, and the Delhi government are responsible for the water crisis," Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said in a press conference.

Sachdeva criticised the timing of the government's response, pointing out that the Summer Action Plan, which aims to address the increased demand for water during the hot months, should have been prepared much earlier.

"The Summer Action Plan should be chalked out in February or March, not when the crisis is reported in the media. Right now, Delhi is struggling for even a drop," the Delhi BJP chief said.

“In a few months, Delhi will struggle with floods because they have not cleaned the drains,” he added.

Read: Supreme Court to take up Delhi’s additional water supply matter on June 12

The ruling AAP has accused BJP-ruled Haryana of withholding Delhi's share of water for the past several days, exacerbating the crisis. On Monday, Lt Governor Saxena met with Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj and assured them that he would take up the water supply matter with the Haryana government. He also advised the ministers to avoid the blame game and focus on resolving the issue amicably.

"The LG advised the ministers to not get into pointless blame game and resolve the issue amicably with the neighbouring states. He pointed out that even if Haryana were to give additional water above its allocated share, Delhi did not have enough water treatment plants (WTPs) and capacity to treat the water and supply to the people of Delhi," the L-G office said in a statement.

Saxena underlined that if the wastage of the water to the tune of 25 per cent in Munak canal due to lack of repairs and theft, and 54 per cent unaccounted water which includes 40 per cent leakages and theft in the city itself are plugged, the water crisis in Delhi will automatically be resolved to a large extent, it said.