The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP-led Haryana government of blocking the water supply intended for Delhi, leading to a water shortage in the national capital. Priyanka Kakkar, AAP's chief national spokesperson, claimed that 137 cusecs of water released by Himachal Pradesh, as directed by the Supreme Court, have been halted by Haryana.Â
Kakkar stated that the water was meant to flow through the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana and reach Delhi, but it was obstructed due to what she described as "negative politics" by the BJP government in Haryana. Additionally, she alleged that Haryana has reduced Delhi's allocated water share by 200 cusecs from the agreed 1,050 cusecs.
Kakkar criticized Delhi's Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena for not negotiating with Haryana to release the water. She mentioned that the AAP government will inform the Supreme Court about the situation, with a hearing scheduled for Monday.
In response, LG Saxena has arranged a meeting with Delhi Water Minister Atishi at 11 am. He has instructed officials to verify the actual amount of water released by Himachal Pradesh and Haryana and to assess the measures in place to prevent water wastage and leakage in Delhi. He also asked for the status of desilting the Wazirabad reservoir as per the Supreme Court's directive.
Raj Niwas, in a social media post, confirmed the meeting and the LG's instructions to officials to gather relevant information about the water supply and conservation measures.
Atishi previously sought the LG's assistance to secure more water from neighboring states, emphasizing the critical water situation. She noted that Delhi's receipt from the Munak Canal via the CLC and DSB sub-canals had decreased to 840 cusecs from the expected 1,050 cusecs, which jeopardizes the operation of seven water treatment plants in the city. If the water supply does not increase, Atishi warned, the water crisis in Delhi could worsen within 1-2 days.
