Amidst a growing water crisis in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Atishi has issued a stern ultimatum, threatening to undertake a 'Satyagraha' if the city does not receive its rightful share of water by June 21.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Atishi revealed that she has appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the urgent water needs of Delhi's residents.
"Today I have written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that 28 lakh people in Delhi are not getting water. I have requested that he should help provide water as soon as possible... If the people of Delhi do not get their rightful share of water by the 21st, then I will be forced to do a Satyagraha," Atishi declared.
The minister highlighted the exacerbation of the water crisis due to the intense heatwave, noting that Delhi's water supply currently stands at 1050 million gallons per day (MGD). However, she alleged that Haryana, responsible for supplying a significant portion of Delhi's water, has not been providing the full amount agreed upon. "The total supply of water in Delhi is 1050 MGD, out of which 613 MGD water comes from Haryana but Haryana is not giving the full share of water to Delhi," she claimed.
Atishi elaborated that a reduction in water supplied by Haryana has led to severe shortages, affecting millions in the capital. "Haryana gave only 513 MGD of water to Delhi yesterday. Due to this, Delhi is short of 100 MGD of water today. Due to this, about 28 lakh people are getting less water. The people of Delhi are troubled. We have made all efforts to solve this problem. We have spoken to the Chief Minister of Haryana, but the BJP government of Haryana is not giving Delhi its share of water," she said.
The water crisis has prompted high-level discussions between Delhi and Haryana officials. On June 18, a delegation from the Delhi Government met with the Principal Secretary (Water Resources) of Haryana in Chandigarh, urging the release of additional water to alleviate the shortages.
The political tensions have also sparked protests led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in various parts of Delhi. For three days, BJP leaders, including Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and former MP Ramesh Bidhuri, have been vocal in their criticism of the AAP government over the ongoing water crisis.
As the deadline looms, the city remains on edge, awaiting a resolution to the dire water shortage impacting millions of its residents.
