The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
BJP, Cong make common cause in targeting AAP govt over DJB’S functioning
AS THE water crisis continued to strengthen its grip on the capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress questioned the role and working of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) ever since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government rose to power in the city.
On its part, the A AP government maintained that“insufficientwater supply from ha ryan a” was to blame for delhi' s water crisis.
In addition to announcing that the party would stage protests across the city over the issue, delhi Congress president Devender Yadav wrote to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) seeking a probe into what he alleged was a“rs 17,575 cr ores cam” in the DJB, a feature of which was leak age from its network that was being “diverted” for the “Tanker Mafia” to misappropriate.
Bjp'snewdelhimp-designate Bansuri Swaraj demanded to know why thedjbw as reeling under a loss of Rs 73,000 crore despitehaving operate data profit of Rs 600 crore under the thensheila Dikshit Congress government.
Yadav, in his letter to the CVC, sought to point out that there had been a “significant uptick” in the volume of leakage of water in recent years, as indicated by government-provided data, with the figures climbing from 42% in 2019-20 to 58.28% in 2022-23.
On her part, Swaraj alleged that the water distribution networkin delhi was“badly affected” by crumbling infrastructure.
The AAP Delhi government, blaming“inadequate supply from Haryana”, said the issue of water tankers was “being politicised” and that Delhiites were at the receiving end. “If tankers are being filled in Haryana, then Haryana Police must stop them, if tankers are being filled in delhi, then delhi Police must stop them,” it said.