The national Capital is bracing for a water crisis as the Haryana Government on Friday reduced water supply by 150 cusec amid the Sutlej-Yamuna link (SYl) canal row.
The reduction in supply may lead to shortage of water in Dwarka, Rohini and South West areas of the city. Sensing trouble, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there should be no politics over water.
“Doing politics over water is not good as people from Punjab and Haryana are also our own like that of Delhi. Everyone should get water,” said Kejriwal a day after the Haryana Government upset with him for siding with Punjab in the canal dispute said it may have to cut supply of water to Delhi.
When it was pointed out that Haryana refused to give water to Delhi, he said they have to supply water to the city. Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra held a high-level meeting with DJB officials to assess the situation.
Sources said as the city primarily depends on water supplied from Haryana to meet its daily requirements, it would face
hardship. “In all, Delhi gets 796 cusec water from Haryana daily,” sources said.
The Haryana Government locked horns with the AAP Government after Kejriwal said he was against the construction of the SYl canal as Punjab did not have enough water to share with
other States.
Haryana’s Irrigation Minister Om Prakasah Dhankar had hit back and said his State would not be able to supply water to Delhi.
In a letter to Kejriwal on Thursday, Dhankar said, “The Delhi Chief Minister has opposed the construction of SYl canal which was to be constructed so that Haryana could get water through Bhakra Nangal Dam.”
Dhankar said, “We supply water to Delhi through the western Yamuna canal for which we reduce water supply to our farmers… We have told the Delhi CM to construct his own canal system to bring water from Nangal Dam and Tajewala to Delhi”.
Dhankar had stated, “Water is lying available in the Nangal Dam for Haryana and Delhi, but we don’t have any resource to supply it and you (Kejriwal) opposed our only resource SYl canal in Punjab for your political gains. By doing this, you in fact stood against the interest of the people of Delhi.”
According to the Minister, Haryana provides 0.2 million acre-feet water to Delhi through its main line canal which reaches Delhi through the Narwana branch of the West Yamuna canal system.
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 Rs 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.