The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly refuted the BJP’s allegations regarding the ongoing water crisis in Delhi. AAP’s chief spokesperson (National), Ms. Priyanka Kakkar, defended the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) expenditure on infrastructure, stating that the BJP mischaracterizes necessary investments as losses. Emphasizing DJB’s role in service rather than profit-making, the AAP Spokesperson highlighted the Kejriwal government’s extensive efforts over the past eight years, including the installation of 7,300 km of new pipelines and the replacement of 3,700 km of old ones. Amid rising concerns over water shortages affecting 28 lakh residents, she urged the BJP to secure Delhi’s fair water share from Haryana before casting accusations. In a related appeal, Water Minister Atishi has called on the Prime Minister and LG for intervention. Facing unresolved issues, she plans to commence an indefinite fast starting Friday.
AAP Chief Spokesperson (National) Priyanka Kakkar held a press conference at the party headquarters and stated that at present, more than 28 lakh people in Delhi are facing problems with drinking water. This problem is man-made, organized by the BJP. A few days ago, we went to the court in this matter and stated that the Himachal Pradesh government wants to help Delhi with additional water in this scorching heat. Since Himachal Pradesh is not directly connected to Delhi, the Haryana government should support the Himachal Pradesh government and allow that water to come to Delhi via Haryana.
“On the contrary, forget about additional water, the BJP led Haryana government has further reduced supply of water to Delhi by 100 MGD (million gallons per day). One MGD caters to drinking water requirement of around 28,500 people. Therefore, more than 28 lakh people are suffering from this organised crisis. Our water minister Atishi has made every possible effort to fulfill the requirement of drinking water for 28 lakh people. She sought time to meet the LG, met him and requested his intervention and said that Haryana government should be asked to release Delhi’s share of water, but that did not happen. She also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding his intervention in this matter,” she stated.
The AAP Chief Spokesperson (National) further added that Delhi Assembly’s Chief Whip Shri Dilip Pandey also went to meet Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Paatil, seeking his intervention but he also did not have time to solve the problems of Delhi. When no solution was found even after trying every way, Delhi’s water minister Atishi is going to sit on an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow. The Aam Aadmi Party is ready to go to any extent for the sake of Delhi.
“What did the BJP people do? They broke earthen pots and vandalised DJB office. The BJP MPs and the LG do not get tired of saying that the Haryana government Is releasing enough water. They did not even bother to go to Delhi’s Wazirabad to check who is telling the truth and who is lying? If they had gone to Wazirabad, they would have seen how low the water level is and how little water the Haryana government is releasing for Delhi,” she said.
Responding on BJP’s press conference on water crisis in Delhi, she stated, “Today the BJP held another press conference. They showed another example of their anarchy. Today they started saying repeatedly that the Delhi Jal Board is running in loss. In the last 8 years, Delhi government has done a lot of work under the Delhi Jal Board, whether it is laying 7300 kilometres of new pipelines, or replacing 3700 kilometres of old pipelines, or constructing more WTPs. The BJP is showing the cost of Delhi’s infrastructure, the expenses incurred by Delhi Jal Board on the people of Delhi, as a loss. The DJB is not a unit for making profit, it is a unit for service, the BJP should know this much.”
“We have done significant infrastructure improvement in Delhi, whether it is lake revival, whether it is replacing old pipelines, whether it is laying new pipelines. Today Delhi has 99.6% water pipeline. There was no water pipeline in unauthorised colonies, there are about 1800 unauthorised colonies, they have pipeline, every house has tap. All this has been possible because of the work done by the Kejriwal government for the people of Delhi in the last 8 years. But the uneducated BJP government is calling the expenditure on these works a loss,” she stated.
Addressing the BJP, she said that if you want to accuse us, do so. If you want to abuse us, do so. Do whatever you want, but ensure that the people of Delhi get their rightful share of water. “Tell the Haryana government that the lives of 28 lakh people of Delhi are being affected, their lives are in danger. Water is a fundamental right. It is my appeal to the Haryana government, LG, Delhi’s MPs to stop creating chaos on the roads and get Delhi its rightful share of water,” Priyanka Kakkar concluded.
