Senior AAP leader and Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Friday said the city’s water crisis will not be solved even if Himachal Pradesh releases water for it as Haryana has “reduced” its share a day after the Supreme Court directed the Himachal Pradesh government to provide additional water to Delhi amid water shortage and prevailing heat wave conditions.
“Amid the scorching heat, the Haryana government is conspiring against the people of Delhi by continuously stopping Delhi’s share of water and releasing less water into the Yamuna even as the Supreme Court is trying to solve the water problem in Delhi,” Atishi stated.
Reacting to Atishi accusing the Haryana government of not releasing adequate water to Delhi, South Delhi BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the Atishi is misleading the people of Delhi. Haryana has been releasing from its own quota. She is deliberately misleading on the water crisis. This government did nothing to ensure proper water supply during summer.
The Minister inspected the Wazirabad barrage on Friday and said, “The Haryana government is not giving the rightful due water to Delhi. Due to this, the water level has come down to 669.7 feet on June 7 as compared to 671.3 feet on June 2. The Supreme Court is trying to solve the water problem of the people of Delhi. Therefore, the Supreme Court is continuously hearing this matter and ordered the meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board and will hear it again on Monday.”But for the last 5 days, when the hearing is going on in the Supreme Court, the Haryana government is conspiring behind the back of the Supreme Court,” she said, claiming that since Sunday, when the issue of water reached the Supreme Court, Haryana has continuously reduced the release of water in the Yamuna towards Delhi.
“As a result, the water level in the barrage at Wazirabad was 671.3 feet on June 2, which has come down to 669.9 feet on June 7,” the Minister said, adding that Delhi is dependent on the Yamuna river for its entire water supply as the water that comes into the Yamuna is the same that is released from Haryana.
“The water coming into the Yamuna is supplied to Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants. When the water supply itself will reduce and the water in the water treatment plant will reduce, when less water will come into the Yamuna from Haryana, then from where will the water treatment plant produce water? This will affect the supply and people will face problems,” she said.
“On one hand, the Supreme Court is trying to solve the water problem in Delhi. Himachal Pradesh is also saying in the court that it is ready to help but the Haryana government is now hatching a conspiracy that even if Himachal Pradesh gives water, the problem of Delhiites will not be solved, that is why Haryana is constantly stopping the water that they have to send to Wazirabad,” Atishi alleged.She said that we will put this entire issue before the Supreme Court and hope that Delhi will be able to get its share of water and the additional water from Himachal Pradesh without any obstruction.
