Amid a severe water crisis gripping Delhi, Water Minister Atishi has urgently requested police protection for the city’s crucial water pipelines. Concerns have arisen following reports of sabotage attempts on several pipelines, exacerbating the already dire water shortage in the national capital.
Atishi, in a letter addressed to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, emphasized the critical need for safeguarding the pipelines, which she described as Delhi’s lifelines. “I am writing to request deployment of police personnel to patrol and protect our major pipelines for the next 15 days,” she stated. The plea comes in light of recent findings by Delhi Jal Board’s patrolling teams, which uncovered signs of deliberate damage to water supply pipelines at various locations.
Highlighting a significant incident near the DTL substation in Garhi Medhu, Atishi detailed, “Our patrolling team discovered a major leakage in our South Delhi Rising Mains, caused by the cutting of several large bolts from the pipeline.” This incident, she asserted, underscores the potential for foul play and sabotage, further complicating efforts to mitigate the water crisis.
The water minister underscored the implications of such actions on Delhi’s water supply, stating, “Any foul play and sabotage will worsen the already difficult water shortage being faced by the people of Delhi.” Atishi’s appeal for police protection aims to preemptively curb any malicious attempts to disrupt the water distribution network, crucial for meeting the city’s daily water needs.
Meanwhile, opposition voices have also intensified, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staging protests against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s handling of the water scarcity issue. BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat criticized the government’s response, highlighting complaints from residents in areas like Dwarka about inadequate water supply and escalating costs of private water tankers.
In a separate move, AAP MLAs sought intervention from Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, urging the central government to address the crisis through coordinated efforts. “We want the Central government to intervene in this situation and give the responsibility of interstate coordination to CR Patil,” stated AAP MLA Dilip Pandey.
Atishi had earlier appealed to neighboring Haryana to release additional water into the Yamuna river on humanitarian grounds, citing a shortfall of 70 million gallons per day (MGD) in Delhi’s water supply. The crisis has seen a decline in normal water production from 1,002 MGD to 932 MGD due to insufficient raw water availability.
As Delhi grapples with this mounting challenge, the call for enhanced security measures for vital infrastructure underscores the urgency of safeguarding essential services amidst ongoing civic disruptions.
