The Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accused the ruling BJP in Haryana of deliberately draining industrial waste into the Yamuna river, calling it “water terrorism” on Monday.
Atishi alleged that the BJP is deliberately disrupting Delhi’s water supply as they face a historic loss in the upcoming Assembly polls. She pointed out that the ammonia level in the Yamuna has skyrocketed to an unprecedented 7.2 parts per million due to the discharge of industrial waste into the river. “Since Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and I exposed the conspiracy by the BJP to send poisonous water to Delhi, the BJP appointed its Lieutenant Governor to pressurise Delhi Jal Board officers. However, the letter written by the CEO of Delhi Jal Board confirms our claims. BJP government in Haryana is sending poisonous water to Delhi,” she said.
Further questioning BJP’s intentions asserting the claims, Atishi questioned, “Are they trying to kill the people of Delhi because they are losing the elections? I want to tell the BJP-if you want to fight elections, fight us face to face. Don’t engage in such dirty politics.”
This came after AAP national convenor and Atishi’s predecessor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the BJP is trying to kill people by mixing “poison” in the river.
Arvind Kejriwal’s claims
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, earlier in the day, also accused BJP of mixing poison in the water coming to Delhi from Haryana. He said, “The BJP government there is mixing poison in the water coming from Haryana,” said Kejriwal. Further attacking the BJP, he also said, “The country has never seen such dirty politics till date. If the people of Delhi are not voting for BJP, will you kill the people of Delhi by giving them water mixed with poison?”
Additionally, he credited the Jal Board engineers for identifying the problem and stopping the water at the border. Kejriwal added to his statement that if “this water had come into Delhi and gotten mixed with the drinking water, don’t know how many people Delhi would have died- this would have been a mass genocide.”
Haryana CM refutes the claims
The Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini hit back at the claims of the “poisonous water”, saying it’s the ‘AAP’s habit to blame others and run away’, asserting that the people of Delhi will teach them a lesson in the February 5 Assembly polls.
Saini said, “I asked them (the AAP government in Delhi) to send their chief secretary and said I will ask my chief secretary to check the quality of the water at Sonipat, from where the Yamuna enters Delhi. Anyone can check the water quality there.” He added, “They are talking about ammonia, but there is no shortage of water. There is an issue in their (Delhi’s) distribution system…. He (Kejriwal) should work instead of making allegations.”
Later, BJP sources quoted by news agency PTI suggested that Haryana administration plans to sue Kejriwal regarding his allegations and file a complaint with the Election Commission.
Haryana minister Anil Vij also echoed Saini and blamed Kejriwal. “Arvind Kejriwal is a factory of lies… Take all journalists and analysts to the place where Yamuna enters Delhi and check the quality of water, and then check the quality of water in Delhi. They will see the difference,” said the labour minister of Haryana. Further slamming the AAAP chief he added, “Its not our job to clean the river in Delhi, it was Arvind Kejriwal’s job, which he could not do.”
‘False, misleading’ claims: Delhi Jal Board
The Delhi Jal Board’s CEO wrote to the Delhi chief secretary, calling the statements of Atishi and Kejriwal “false” and saying they might lead to fear-mongering among people. The DJB regularly monitors the quality of incoming water and regulates supplies based on various parameters.
“As it’s in annual winter season & people of Delhi are assured that there is no cause of concern for drinking water quality in the city. CEO DJB, in a detailed report, has apprised the Chief Secretary with a request to bring this to the attention of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor,” later said the Jal Board.
Atishi, Bhagwant Mann’s letter to Election Commissioner
This row started with Delhi CM Atishi and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann wrote a joint letter addressed to chief election commissioner with the accusations over the increased ammonia levels in the water coming to Delhi from Haryana.
In their complaint to the EC, Atishi and Mann alleged that there has been a deliberate attempt by the Haryana government to jeopardize Delhi’s water supply, which could have serious consequences for the conduct of free and fair elections in the capital.
Atishi said in the complaint, “I am sure you will agree that denying their rightful share of water to 34 lakh people in Delhi amounts to water terrorism, and is a blatant attempt to cause panic and chaos across Delhi, thereby influencing the free-and-fair nature of the Delhi election.”
As the campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls intensifies, with the election scheduled for February 5 and results to be announced on February 8, allegations and counter-allegations continue to fuel the capital’s political atmosphere.