June 19th 2024.
New Delhi: At a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi's Water Minister, Atishi, expressed her concerns over the ongoing water crisis in the national capital. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she warned that if the issue is not resolved in the next few days, she will begin an indefinite hunger strike from June 21st.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to Atishi's letter by accusing her of creating "theatrics" to distract from the real issue of water theft and black marketeering. Virendra Sachdeva, the president of the BJP's Delhi unit, demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government be dismissed for their lack of action.
Atishi explained that Delhi is facing a water crisis due to Haryana withholding the city's share of water. She claimed that over 28 lakh people have been affected by the shortage. She further elaborated that out of Delhi's total water supply of 1,050 MGD, 613 MGD comes from Haryana. However, on June 18th, only 513 MGD was received, resulting in a shortage of 100 MGD.
To put it into perspective, Atishi stated that 100 MGD of water can meet the daily demand of 28,500 people. Therefore, with Delhi receiving 100 MGD less water from Haryana, over 28 lakh people are left without adequate water supply. She expressed her disappointment that at a time when the city is facing extreme heat, there is a shortage of water.
Atishi also shared that she has written a letter to Prime Minister Modi, pleading for his intervention in the matter. She stated that the suffering of the people of Delhi has reached its limit and urgent action is needed. She invoked Hindu scriptures, reminding the prime minister that giving water to a thirsty person is considered a great virtue.
In her letter, Atishi warned that if Delhi does not receive water by June 21st, she will begin a "satyagraha" (non-violent protest) until the issue is resolved. She emphasized that they have made multiple attempts to resolve the issue with the Haryana government, but to no avail. In fact, she shared that senior officials from the Delhi government met with their Haryana counterparts, but the latter refused to provide water.
Atishi also pointed out that the population of Delhi is three crore, yet the city's allocated share of water is only 1,050 MGD. Comparatively, the population of Haryana is also three crore, but their allocated share of water is 6,500 MGD. She questioned why Haryana cannot spare 100 MGD of water for Delhi, which is only 1.5% of their total water supply.
In response to Atishi's letter, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused her of creating "drama" to cover up the AAP government's failure. He claimed that Haryana had provided surplus water to Delhi the previous day, and official documents can prove it. He demanded that the AAP government be dismissed for their inability to provide water to the people of Delhi.
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav also chimed in, stating that Atishi should have written the letter to Prime Minister Modi earlier. He opined that the Delhi government should have prepared a solid plan to ensure the availability and distribution of water.
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