New Delhi: Delhi Water minister Atishi on Friday sat on an indefinite hunger strike here demanding the release of more Yamuna water for the city from Haryana while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a message from Tihar jail, hoped her penance would be successful.
Sunita Kejriwal, who along with a number of AAP leaders were present as Atishi began her fast, read out the chief minister’s message in which he
expressed immense pain upon watching on television the plight of the people suffering from water scarcity.
Earlier in the day, Atishi along with Sunita Kejriwal and AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi minister Saurabh
Bharadwaj, visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi before the launch of her ‘Jal Satyagrah’ at Bhogal.
In his message, the chief minister said, “It’s our culture to provide water to the thirsty. Delhi gets water from
neighbouring states. We hoped for the support of the neighbouring states in such intense heat. But, Haryana reduced Delhi’s share water.”
“Although there are governments of different parties in the two states, is this time for politics over water?” he posed.
AAP leaders said Atishi will sit at the stage set up for her indefinite hunger strike at a community hall in Bhogal for two hours each in the morning and evening. She will rest in a room at the community centre for the rest of the day.
Atishi said she will not eat anything until Haryana releases Delhi’s rightful share of Yamuna water. She said that Delhi is suffering from intense heat and the water requirement of the people has risen. There is a water shortage in Delhi and all of its water comes from neighbouring states, Atishi said, adding that her appeal to the Haryana government and a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help did not yield any result.
“I 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 the people of Delhi get water from Haryana,” she said. For the last two weeks, Haryana has been giving 513 MGD instead of 613 MGD of water to Delhi. More than 28 lakh people face shortage when Haryana stops 100 MGD of water, Atishi said.
Haryana has further reduced Delhi’s water share by 120 MGD in the last two days, she said.
The minister, in a post on X in the morning, said she was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike since despite all her efforts, the Haryana government was not releasing the full share of Delhi’s water.
She claimed that for the last two weeks, Haryana was releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water to Delhi against its share of 613 MGD. As a result, 28 lakh people in Delhi were affected, the minister said.
The AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was present at the venue of Atishi’s hunger strike, alleged the day
the people of Delhi gave the BJP all seven Lok Sabha seats of the national Capital, their water supply was stopped by the prime minister.
However, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj termed Atishi’s fast a “sham”, alleging it was a “political drama” to hide her “inaction”. “Atishi is an unsuccessful water minister. It was clear since February this year that Delhi would endure a long summer but she made no preparations for it,” Swaraj charged.