The Water Minister of Delhi, Atishi, has started fasting unconditionally to protest the water shortage in Delhi’s national capital and the Haryana government’s equivocations and failure to supply water to Delhi.
Atishi, the AAP leader, said, ‘I will remain on a fast until the Haryana Government provides water to Delhi until 28 lakh people of Delhi get water.’ Responding to the appeal, the minister said he had not served water during an assembly session. However, he tried to negotiate with the neighboring state on behalf of the Delhi residents.
Said Atishi; if anything, Delhi is entitled to Yamuna water sharing as mandated by the tri-party agreement. The state requires 613 MGD. When the power to supply water has been restored to Haryana, the government has only been supplying water at 513 MGD for the past several weeks under which the national capital is facing acute water scarcity.
This has been compounded by the current scorching sun conditions in Delhi, where residents continue to face long lines to be served with water from the tankers. The present AAP government in Delhi has accused the BJP controlled Haryana regime of breaching the deal and thus denying water to Delhi.
Centre blames Haryana for the water shortage while the Haryana government has been denying any such practice and affirming Delhi receives more water than it is legally entitled. The BJP has also accused the AAP government in Delhi of deliberately neglecting water management and, more so, intra-state water theft by ‘water tank mafias’.
Another blow has been dealt by the latest report from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) which states that the city has exploited 99% of the groundwater and is thus shifting its focus more and more towards the water purchased from the neighboring states.
To cut a long story short, the political battle between the two state governments is still ongoing now that Atishi has staged a fast to draw the people’s attention toward the drought that has continued to compel the national capital to experience a water shortage.
