Atishi demands additional water from UP, Haryana; BJP calls it politics

New Delhi: Delhi minister Atishi Singh Marlena has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini requesting them to release additional water to the national capital for a month as there is a water crisis in the city.

Atishi stressed that Delhi is grappling with an unprecedented water crisis this year, with the demand for water surging significantly compared to previous years amid a heat wave.

"With temperature touching almost 50 degrees Celsius, Delhi is stretched out to the maximum as far as its water resources are concerned. To tackle the existing crisis, we urgently need Haryana to release additional water into the Yamuna River at the earliest," she wrote in her letter to the Haryana CM on May 31.

The minister also highlighted that the water level at the Wazirabad barrage currently stands at 670.3 feet, which is below the normal level of 674.50 feet.

"This reduction in water level has adversely affected the water production capacity of our water treatment plants.

"However, to cater to the demands of people living in Delhi, we urgently need water in Yamuna to meet our day-to-day requirements," the letter said.

In her letter to the UP CM, Atishi, who has the water portfolio, stressed the severity of the heatwave and the need for assistance from all quarters.

"Sir, through this letter I wish to appeal to you to kindly consider our request and provide additional water to Delhi for the next one month so that people living in Delhi can comfortably surpass this peak summer.

'The Delhi government and people living in the national capital will be anxiously waiting for a positive response," the letter added.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva accused Atishi of "playing politics in the name of water crisis".

He said that there is no shortage of raw water in Delhi as both Haryana and Uttarakhand are giving excess water on a daily basis and it can be verified from the Delhi Jal Board record.

He called upon Atishi to stop writing "politically motivated letters" to CMs of BJP-rule Haryana and UP and instead work to clean silt from water ponds and plants, along with stopping water wastage and theft to end the water crisis in Delhi.