The Delhi government has responded to the critical water shortage in the capital by approaching the Supreme Court to seek more water from nearby states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised issues earlier today, mentioning that neighboring states have decreased water supply to Delhi. He requested the BJP government to step in and help with providing water to Delhi, especially during the intense heat.
इस बार पूरे देश में अभूतपूर्व गर्मी पड़ रही है जिसकी वजह से देश भर में पानी और बिजली का संकट हो गया है। पिछले वर्ष, दिल्ली में बिजली की पीक डिमांड 7438 MW थी। इसके मुक़ाबले इस साल पीक डिमांड 8302 MW तक पहुँच गयी है। पर इसके बावजूद दिल्ली में बिजली की स्थिति नियंत्रण में है, अन्य…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 31, 2024
Actions by the govt.
The Delhi government has taken strict actions in reaction to the water scarcity by enforcing a Rs 2,000 penalty for those caught wasting water and shutting down unauthorized water connections at construction sites or businesses.
Despite the attempts made, the water scarcity in Delhi is still getting worse, leading residents to take extreme actions to obtain water. Reports suggest that inhabitants in Vivekananda Colony in Chanakyapuri had to ascend water tankers in order to obtain water.
Atishi on water crisis
In the face of the city’s severe water crisis, Atishi, the Water Minister, sent a letter to Gajendra Shekhawat, the Union Jal Shakti Minister, requesting urgent action.
Atishi expressed in her correspondence with the Union minister that Delhi is currently experiencing an unparalleled water shortage and relies greatly on water from the Yamuna to fulfill its daily water needs.
The minister stated that the Haryana government’s failure to release the city’s required water share had led to the claimed decrease in Yamuna water level.
For the past few days, there has been a significant decrease in water levels at the Wazirabad Barrage due to Haryana not releasing enough water into the Yamuna. This has led to a huge water crisis in the capital city of the country. Additionally, the temperatures in Delhi have nearly reached 50 degrees. This has exacerbated the need for water, adding more pressure on the already stretched supply of clean drinking water.
She also mentioned that the water level in the Wazirabad pond was 670.3 feet, lower than the usual level of 674.50 feet. The decrease in water supply from Haryana has severely affected the efficiency of Delhi’s water treatment facilities, which may result in the city being unable to fulfill its water needs if the plants do not operate effectively, the minister explained.
This will have a significant impact on the inhabitants of the nation’s capital. I have already communicated with the Chief Minister of Haryana regarding the problem. Nevertheless, we have not received a reply yet,” stated the letter.
Atishi briefed the Union minister on the actions taken by the Delhi government to address the crisis. The letter stated that water provision needs to be ensured in Delhi to prevent the suffering of its people.
