In the letter Atishi said, “I am writing this letter to draw your immediate attention to an alarming situation concerning the water supply in Delhi.We are currently facing a severe water crisis, which is unprecedented and has caused significant distress among the residents of Delhi, especially amid an ongoing election season.”
“The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that Delhi has been in the grip of an unrelenting heat-wave and the india Metcorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for the coming days.”
She stated, “It has come to my notice that the water flow from Haryana to Delhi seems to be deliberately reduced. Our records show that there is a drastic drop in the water levels at the Wazirabad Barrage, indicating lower water levels of the Yamuna River which is the main lifeline of Delhi.
“The normal pond level should be maintained at a minimum of 674.50 feet. Our enquires have revealed that on 15.05.2024, the water levels were already 671.9 feet, which has been consistently reducing and has reached a critically dangerous level of 670.9 feet.”
BJP reaction to Atishi’s comment
Reacting to the letter written by Atishi to Haryana CM BJP leader Shazia Ilmi said, “Instead of apologising to the people of Delhi and giving an account of her work, the water minister Atishi has blamed her inability on the Haryana government. It has been 10 years, since the Delhi Jal Board, which was a profitable organisation, but now AAP does not even conduct an audit. No one knows what’s happening in the DJB, or how much debt they have been made to take… The tanker mafia is fully functional in Delhi, fighting against whom was one of the things Arvind Kejriwal pledged he would fight against. Providing free water is one thing, but water can be provided only if it is available… They blame the LG and the BJP if they are held accountable for anything…”