New Delhi:
In the midst of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, a heated political dispute has surfaced over allegations of the Yamuna River being polluted, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaging in a bitter war of words.
On Monday, AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sparked controversy by accusing the BJP-led Haryana government of intentionally contaminating the Yamuna River’s water supply to Delhi. Kejriwal claimed that the Haryana government had mixed “poison” into the water, which could lead to a severe health crisis in the national capital. This allegation was supported by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who also lodged complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the high ammonia levels in the Yamuna’s water.
The Haryana government, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, vehemently denied these allegations. Haryana MPs, including Dharambir Singh, Ram Chander Jangra, Kiran Choudhary, and Rekha Sharma, rejected Kejriwal’s statements, arguing that Haryana supplies only 300 cusecs of water to the Yamuna to prevent it from drying up. They emphasized that Delhi receives approximately 10,000 cusecs of drinking water through the Western Yamuna Canal, which is treated at Delhi’s four treatment plants before distribution. Haryana MPs also pointed out that Delhi’s water treatment infrastructure is inadequate, with only 17 of the 37 treatment plants functioning, and that the water becomes polluted as it passes through Delhi’s system.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has intervened, issuing a show-cause notice to Kejriwal and demanding factual evidence to support his claims by 8 pm on Wednesday. Both the BJP and Congress have filed complaints against Kejriwal, accusing him of making baseless and inflammatory allegations.
The Congress has also entered the fray, with a delegation meeting the ECI to complain against both the AAP and the BJP. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit expressed surprise over the lack of police action against Kejriwal for his statements, which he deemed highly objectionable.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s government has submitted a report to the ECI, explaining that the water supplied to Delhi does not come directly from the Yamuna but through a network of canals. The report highlighted that the increase in ammonia levels is due to dirty water from tankers being dumped into ponds near Wazirabad, a village close to Delhi. It also noted that Delhi’s water treatment capacity is limited, able to handle only 1 part per million (ppm) of ammonia, compared to Uttar Pradesh’s capacity of 24 ppm.
The dispute has significant implications, especially given the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections on February 5, 2025. The AAP has accused the BJP of “water terrorism” aimed at disrupting the elections, while the BJP has countered with allegations of the AAP’s failure to manage Delhi’s water distribution and treatment infrastructure effectively.
