New Delhi:
In a dramatic escalation of a pre-election controversy, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal has been at the center of a storm after accusing the Haryana government of deliberately poisoning the Yamuna River. This allegation, made just ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, has sparked a fierce backlash from both the Haryana government and the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The controversy began when Kejriwal alleged that the Haryana government, led by the BJP, had mixed poison in the Yamuna water supplied to Delhi, a claim that could have severe implications for public health and interstate relations. The ECI has swiftly responded, demanding that Kejriwal provide factual evidence to support his allegations. Meanwhile, the Haryana government has announced plans to file a case against Kejriwal for spreading misinformation and creating panic among the people of Delhi and Haryana. This dispute highlights the longstanding and critical issue of water quality and pollution in the Yamuna River.
Kejriwal’s explosive claim that the Haryana government had poisoned the Yamuna water, which could have led to a “genocide” in Delhi if not intercepted by Delhi Jal Board engineers, has triggered a massive row. He asserted that the water coming from Haryana was contaminated with high levels of ammonia, far exceeding permissible limits, and that Delhi’s water treatment plants were unable to treat it effectively.
The ECI has taken a stern stance, asking Kejriwal to furnish detailed and factual evidence of the alleged poisoning by January 31. The commission emphasized the need for specific and pointed responses regarding the type, quantity, nature, and manner of the alleged poisoning, as well as details of the engineers, locations, and methodologies used to detect the poison. Failure to provide this evidence could result in legal action against Kejriwal.
The Haryana government, led by Minister Vipul Goyal, has vehemently denied Kejriwal’s allegations and announced plans to file an FIR against him under the Disaster Management Act. The government accuses Kejriwal of spreading misinformation and creating panic among the people of both Haryana and Delhi. Haryana’s Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has also rejected the claims, even going so far as to perform a ritual involving Yamuna water to demonstrate its safety.
The Delhi Jal Board CEO has dismissed Kejriwal’s allegations as factually incorrect and misleading. The board maintains that it regularly monitors and regulates water quality, ensuring that the water supplied to Delhi is safe for consumption. This stance contradicts Kejriwal’s claims of extreme contamination and the inability of treatment plants to process the water.
At the heart of the controversy are the high ammonia levels in the Yamuna water, which Kejriwal claims are beyond the treatment capacity of Delhi’s water treatment plants. This issue underscores significant public health concerns, as contaminated water can pose a direct threat to the health of Delhi’s residents. The ECI has highlighted that ensuring clean and sufficient water is a governance issue that all concerned governments should address.
The allegations have significant political implications, with the BJP and other parties criticizing Kejriwal for making irresponsible statements that could violate the model code of conduct. The issue has also strained interstate relations between Delhi and Haryana, with Haryana’s Chief Minister offering to inspect the water quality to dispel the claims. Kejriwal’s response to the ECI notice emphasized that his comments were made in the context of an urgent public health crisis and as part of his public duty to highlight the severe toxicity and contamination of the raw water received from Haryana.
