Haryana govt blocked Yamuna water supply to Delhi: Atishi

New Delhi: Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi on Wednesday alleged that the Haryana government has “stopped” the water supply to the national Capital under a “new conspiracy” hatched by the BJP to

target the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of voting on May 25 in the national Capital.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, rejected the allegation, saying the water supply to Delhi “is continuing as per the agreement and nobody can stop it”.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), which is responsible for water supply in the national Capital, also issued a statement saying the water level of Yamuna River at Wazirabad on a daily basis in May was far better than the levels measured in May of 2021 and 2022.

“Particularly, the data from 15th May (in 2024) onwards revealed that on each day, the water level at Wazirabad was higher as compared to the levels recorded in the years 2021 and 2022 for each corresponding day,” DJB said.

Further, the total production capacity of DJB from all sources including Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) and tube wells is 956 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) against which the production from May 1, 2024, to May 21, 2024 ranges between 1003 MGD to 981 MGD, it said.

The daily production of water is more than the installed capacity of 956 MGD (both WTPs and Tubewells), the Delhi government agency said.

“DJB assures the people of Delhi that focused attention is given continuously for the optimum production and supply of water to the people of Delhi. DJB is fully geared up to meet the demand and handle any unforeseen situation in the ongoing summer season, 2024,” it said.

The water level in the Yamuna River at Wazirabad depends upon many factors like weather conditions, temperature, state of precipitation in the catchment area, and regeneration of the river among others.

“These fluctuations are routine and standard in nature, particularly become significant in summer months,” the DJB said.

Hitting out at Atishi, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “The water crisis in Delhi has occurred solely due to the failures of the Aam Aadmi Party. If people in Delhi are suffering for water, the only reason is the Kejriwal government itself.”

Atishi, who holds the water portfolio, wrote a letter to Haryana Chief Minister Saini over the matter.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, she said the BJP has been hatching conspiracies to target AAP ever since the Lok Sabha polls were announced. “Within five days of the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested so that the AAP could not campaign in the polls.

“After he came out on interim bail, they used the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal to frame him but even that plan did not work,” Atishi said.

“Then they raked up the old issue of foreign funding to the party and now through their Haryana government, the BJP has stopped the supply of Yamuna water to Delhi,” she alleged. If there is no action on the Haryana government’s part, the minister said they will move an urgent application to the Supreme Court.