BJP workers flood Jal Board office over drinking water ‘crisis’

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board headquarters over “shortage” of drinking water in the city.

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) headquarters over “shortage” of drinking water in the city.

Hundreds of BJP workers gathered near the DJB office with placards and raised slogans against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government. The protest march started from Jhandewalan Temple and ended at the DJB main gate. Led by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, the protesters marched past police barricades to proceed towards the main gate. While a few protesters were detained, no one was arrested, the police said.

Addressing the crowd, Mr. Sachdeva said the people of Delhi are yearning for clean water. “People of Dwarka are on the streets, there is no water in Sangam Vihar and residents are falling ill due to dirty water in Kondli. There is not a single area, including the Yamuna belt, where there isn’t a water crisis,” he said.

But instead of resolving the water crisis, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is going door to door to Opposition leaders to seek help to “suppress the truth about his corruption”, he added.

According to official estimates, around two crore residents of Delhi need approximately 1,300 MGD of water for drinking and daily needs. But the Jal Board can supply only around 1,000 MGD, leaving many areas grappling with a shortage.

The DJB’s water supply capacity has increased from 850 MGD in 2015 to 1,000 MGD now and the government has set an ambitious target to further enhance it to a range of 1,200-1,300 MGD.

Chief Minister Kejriwal had recently asked DJB officials to prepare a detailed action plan to resolve the issue of water contamination in parts of the city.