Haryana CM Khattar faces heat for wasting water

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been embroiled in a controversy over use of around a thousand litres of water to prepare a helipad, at a time when the state faced water shortage.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been embroiled in a controversy over use of around a thousand litres of water to prepare a helipad, at a time when the state faced water shortage.

Around a thousand litres of water were reportedly used in preparing a helipad for Khattar’s chopper in Yamunanagar on Wednesday. (HT File Photo)

Around a thousand litres of water were reportedly used in preparing a helipad for Khattar’s chopper in Yamunanagar on Wednesday.

However, deputy commissioner Yamunanagar SS Phulia said there was no “wastage of water, as was being portrayed by a section of media.”

“There is no wastage of water in preparing the helipad. Only that much water was used as was required for smooth landing of the chopper,” Phulia said.

Opposition Congress said when several districts across the country were facing a drought-like situation and there was acute shortage of water at many places in Haryana, “wasting” huge amount of water to prepare helipads could be avoided.

“Water must not be wasted in circumstances like this when more than 250 districts across the county are facing drought and when Haryana also does not have enough water,” Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said.

Notably, the visit of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to Lalitpur on Tuesday had also got mired in controversy as thousands of litres of water was used to ensure a dust-free makeshift helipad at a time when the area is witnessing drought.

Earlier, a similar controversy involving Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse had erupted when 10,000 litres of water was used to prepare a helipad for his visit to drought-hit Latur district.