Since the past few weeks, Delhi has been facing an acute water crisis amid record-breaking temperatures and a prolonged heatwave. Residents have been forced to queue around water tankers to meet their basic daily needs.
With the Yamuna River experiencing dipping water levels combined with key water treatment plants undergoing technical failures, the Delhi water crisis took a political turn when the AAP government accused Haryana of deliberately reducing the water flow to the national capital.
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The Delhi government raised concerns about a political nexus between senior officials in the national capital and the tanker mafia.
During a hearing, the Supreme Court criticised the Delhi government for its failure to control the tanker mafia and demanded immediate action.
A war of words ensued between the Delhi administration and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena regarding the matter.
The AAP government accused the BJP-ruled Haryana administration of allegedly withholding the national capital’s share of water, 613 million gallons per day (MGD), by releasing 100 MGD less water for over two weeks.
As a result, over 28 lakh people in Delhi were being deprived of water amid an intense heatwave and a rising demand for water, claimed the Delhi government.
Read Also: “Our Culture To Offer Water”: Arvind Kejriwal Supports Atishi’s Indefinite Hunger Strike From Jail
Delhi Water Minister Atishi went on a hunger strike in protest on June 21.
After five days, the hunger strike has come to an end after Atishi was hospitalised for her low blood sugar levels.
The AAP party has stated that, though the strike has come to an end, the government will write to the PM and raise the issue in Parliament.
