After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi blamed the Haryana government for a water shortage crisis in the city, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday, 17 May, said that Delhi is being supplied with its fair share of water.
“As per Supreme Court order, 1,050 cusecs of water is being given and the Upper Yamuna Board has also confirmed from time to time that Delhi is being given their share of water,” the Haryana CM was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"The Delhi government is lying about water. Delhi is being given 1050 cusecs of water for their share," the Haryana CM said, adding that the Upper Yamuna Board has also confirmed from time to time that Delhi is being given their share of water as per the Supreme Court order.
Saying that the AAP government was "doing politics on the issue and presenting false figures," he claimed that the party's government in Punjab was withholding Haryana's share of water.
"On the contrary, the AAP government of Punjab is not giving our share of water to Haryana. The chief minister of Delhi should first get the water of Haryana's share from Punjab," Khattar said.
The chief minister's statements come after the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi sent an SOS to the BJP-ruled state seeking additional water in the Yamuna river amid paucity of water.
'Haryana Has Withheld Delhi's Share of Water': AAP Minister
Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday had accused the Haryana government of depriving the capital's people of their rights by obstructing water supply in the Yamuna river.
"The water level in the Wazirabad barrage has been severely depleted due to the Haryana government's insufficient water supply. This must be understood in light of the fact that a one foot drop in the Yamuna's water level causes a water scarcity in Delhi, as the Yamuna provides the majority of the city's drinking water," he said during a visit to the barrage.
He said that the need for water in Delhi has increased as the city's population has grown, and that the Wazirabad and Chandrawal Water Treatment Plants provide a significant percentage of the supply.
"Haryana has withheld the share of water that belongs to Delhi, causing the Yamuna to reach 669 feet. As a result of Haryana's obstruction in the continuous supply of water, Delhiites are not getting their fair share of water, which is their fundamental right," Jain said.
"We have appealed to the Haryana government, requesting that they come here and assess the state of the Yamuna. We are not expecting the Haryana government to provide water in proportion to the 2022 population of Delhi, but at the very least they need to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling," the Delhi minister had noted.
Water Crisis in Delhi
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had warned that water supply will be affected in several parts of the city from Sunday, 15 May, including Karol Bagh, Punjabi Bagh, Old and New Rajinder Nagar, some areas of Delhi cantonment, NDMC, Kalkaji, and Greater Kailash, among others.
In a statement, the government body had said that the disruption will start from Tuesday onwards and will prevail till the pond level of the Yamuna becomes normal.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)