Haryana reducing water flow to Delhi, conspiring: Atishi

New Delhi: Delhi minister Atishi on Friday said the water crisis in the city will not be solved even if Himachal Pradesh releases water for the national capital as Haryana has “reduced” its share. The water minister, who visited the Wazirabad Barrage here to take stock of the water situation, charged that “Haryana is conspiring against the people of Delhi behind the back of the Supreme Court”.

“The water level of Yamuna at Wazirabad has come down from 671 feet on June 2 to 669.7 feet on Friday. If the water level falls so low, how will the water treatment plants give water to the people of Delhi,” she said while speaking to PTI Videos. Her remarks come a day after the Supreme Court directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital, and asked Haryana to facilitate its flow.

The apex court also said there should be no politics over water. Delhi has been grappling with a water crisis this summer. “Even if Himachal Pradesh releases water, it won’t solve the situation since Haryana has reduced the share of water released by it. We will inform the Supreme Court on Monday about Haryana not releasing Delhi’s share of water,” she added.

As winter gives way to summer every year, Sangam Vihar resident Om Lata fears the worst. Jostling for space with neighbours -- often getting into disputes -- just to secure enough water from the tanker, Lata’s struggles find an echo in hundreds of thousands of Delhi residents as the national capital reels from a severe water shortage. As the scorching sun batters Delhi, residents of many areas of the national capital have to contend with not just the extreme heat but also a severe water shortage. Lata, who lives in Sangam Vihar’s L Block, emphasised the severity of the shortage, explaining how they have to buy water for everything -- drinking, cooking and cleaning. She questioned how a family can survive in such conditions.

“We struggle with this problem every year. The thought of summer haunts us because we don’t have water to drink. Residents fight over water in queues when the tanker arrives as everyone needs water for their families,” she said. Highlighting the severity, Lata said, “We don’t even throw away the dirty water.” Gajendra Pratap, a resident of Geeta Colony, echoes Lata’s sentiments. This issue has plagued Delhi for years. The scarcity begins as soon as the summer starts, he said. Despite the Delhi government supplying water through tankers, it is insufficient to meet demand and people often return home empty-handed, he said.

“The tanker arrives at 7 am and runs out of water by 7.25 or 7:30 am.”

With schools shut for summer vacations, Pratap said children are also at home. “Water is needed for everything ... How can anyone manage without water?” People -- even those who cannot afford food on a regular basis -- are forced to buy water, he said. Sangam Vihar is one of the areas that have been hit the hardest by the shortage due to its high population density. The dire situation has frustrated many women in L Block and K Second Block. In L Block, women like Lata wait outside their homes for the Delhi Jal Board tanker, jostling with their neighbours away to be the first in line. Sunita, another Sangam Vihar resident, said, “If you need water, you have to buy it. Otherwise, surviving the summer with one or two buckets of water daily is impossible, regardless of whether you have kids at home.” A single tanker charges Rs 3,000 and, even after paying, they still have to wait hours for it to arrive.