Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi this Saturday for politicizing the city’s water shortage. He accused the AAP of utilizing the crisis as a pretext to point fingers at neighbouring states.
Saxena expressed his concerns, stating, “It has been troubling to witness the loud and confrontational manner in which the Delhi government’s ministers have been communicating over the past few weeks. The issue of drinking water supply has escalated into a significant challenge within the national capital. It’s disheartening to see political figures in Delhi transform a dire situation into a chance for casting blame on adjacent states, all for the purpose of attaining political advantage,” according to a statement reported by ANI.
Highlighting Delhi’s reliance on water supplies from the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, he further elaborated, “The arrangements for interstate water sharing are conclusively determined by the institutional frameworks established by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and have been consistently validated by the supreme judiciary of the country.”
He emphasized that states must adhere to the agreements signed within this framework to release water accordingly. He also mentioned that it is equally incumbent upon the city’s administration to manage this vital resource wisely to guarantee fair distribution throughout Delhi.
The statement from the Lieutenant Governor emerges in the context of an ongoing verbal confrontation between the Delhi and Haryana governments over the severe water scarcity afflicting the capital. Delhi’s Water Resources Minister, Atishi, has resorted to an indefinite fast starting Friday in protest against the Haryana government’s refusal to provide the promised volume of water.
Atishi conveyed through a video posted on her X account, “Today marks the second day of my hunger strike. Delhi is grappling with a severe water shortage. We depend on our neighboring states for water, with a total of 1005 MGD being distributed to homes in Delhi. Out of this, 613 MGD is supposed to be sourced from Haryana, but for the past few weeks, they have only released 513 MGD.”
She continued, highlighting the gravity of the issue, “This has resulted in over 28 lakh residents of Delhi suffering from a lack of water supply. Despite my best efforts, the refusal of the Haryana government to meet the water supply demands has left me with no option but to undertake a fast.”