Caught on the back foot over his remarks on Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal row, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said there should be no politics over water and expressed confidence that the Haryana Government would stop supply of water.
“People in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi all are our own people. It is not good to play politics this way. Everybody should get water,” Kejriwal told reporters after meeting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at Rail Bhawan.
Asked if Delhi was prepared for a water crisis if Haryana stops supplying water to Delhi, Kejriwal confidently replied: “Haryana will not stop water supply.”
Haryana supplies around 50 per cent of total water Delhi require daily and any cut in supplies may result in severe water crisis in the city.
In a letter to Kejriwal on Thursday, Haryana’s Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar said his State will not be able to continue supply of water to Delhi as he stood against the interests of the farmers and people of Haryana.
Punjab is locked in a fierce battle with Haryana over decades-old water sharing agreement. Political parties in Punjab are opposing supply of water to Haryana through the Sutlej-Yamuna canal which has been constructed at a cost of over `700 crore.
The AAP is hopeful of making a strong debut in Punjab assembly polls and its chief Kejriwal had taken Punjab’s side in the water dispute between the two states.
“Engaging in politics over water is not good as people from Punjab and Haryana are also own people. Everyone should get water,” Kejriwal told reporters here.
Asked what will happen if Haryana refused to give water to Delhi, he said the State cannot take such a decision.