Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
Delhi water minister Atishi, on the second day of her fast over the water crisis, promised to continue her agitation until the Haryana government supplies water to the national capital.
The AAP leader stated that, “I will continue my fast until the Haryana Government supplies water to Delhi, until 28 lakh people of Delhi get water.”
According to her, Delhi is supposed to receive 613 MGD of water, but for several weeks, the Haryana government has been releasing only 513 MGD.
Atishi also said that she has ‘tried everything’ but the Haryana government has left her no choice but to go on a fast.
Delhi has been facing a water shortage, amplified by the record heatwave conditions in the city. The AAP government in Delhi had argued that the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana were in violation of the tri-party Yamuna water sharing agreement and were withholding water from the national capital.
The matter was heard in the Supreme Court, which asked the Upper Yamuna River Board to intervene and make a decision. During this time, the AAP and BJP have been exchanging blame over the lack of water.
According to the BJP, the AAP government has mismanaged water supply in Delhi and has not addressed the issue of ‘water tank mafias’ stealing water before it reaches the people.
The BJP-ruled Haryana government has denied that there is any discrepancy in the water being supplied and also stated that Delhi receives more than its agreed upon share of water. Across Delhi, long queues can be seen for people to get water from tankers.
Delhi’s Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) released a report on Thursday which shows that Delhi has extracted 99 per cent of its groundwater already, making it even more dependent on other states to help meet its water needs.
