"Instead of apologizing to people...": Shazia Ilmi slams Delhi govt over Haryana water row

New Delhi [India], May 22 : Hours after Delhi Minister Atishi wrote a letter to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini alleging that water flow from Haryana to Delhi is being "deliberately reduced", Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shazia Ilmi slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government saying that people are forced to take water from the "tanker mafia" and the party has "no accountability."
Speaking to ANI, Shazia Ilmi said, "Atishi, instead of apologising to the people of Delhi and giving an account of her work, put the whole blame on the Haryana government."
"It has been 10 years since the Delhi Jal Board was a profitable organisation, but now AAP does not even conduct an audit. No one knows what's happening in the DJB, or how much debt they have been made to take. BJP MLAs asked the Delhi government to table the report, but there was no reply," she added.
The BJP leader further cited the alleged scam in Delhi Jal Board and accused AAP of not showing "accountability."
"Former Chief Engineer gave the contract of Rs 38 crore to a company which was not eligible for the contract. He also gave Rs 2 crore donation to the party, and is now in jail," Ilmi said.
"So many irregularities have taken place, but there is no accountability. Any accusation is made, they (AAP) blame the LG and the BJP," she added.
She further said that due to the Delhi government not working to improve sources of water, people of Delhi are forced to take water from "tanker mafia."
"The tanker mafia is fully functional in Delhi, it was one of the things Arvind Kejriwal pledged to fight against. Providing free water is one thing, but water can be provided only if it is available. In these many years, he didn't work towards pipeline or towards the sources of water. Today, people are forced to take water from tanker mafia," Ilmi said.
Delhi Water Minister Atishi in her letter to Haryana CM Saini, alleged that the water level in Yamuna has reached a "critically dangerous level" of 670.9 feet.
"It has come to my notice that the water flow from Haryana to Delhi seems to be deliberately reduced. Our records show that there is a drastic drop in the water levels at the Wazirabad Barrage, indicating lower water levels of the Yamuna River which is the main lifeline of Delhi. The normal pond level should be maintained at a minimum of 674.50 feet," Atishi said in the letter.
"Our enquires have revealed that on 15.05.2024, the water levels were already 671.9 feet, which has been consistently reducing and has reached a critically dangerous level of 670.9 feet," it added.
Prior to this, she addressed a press conference alleging that BJP stopped the Yamuna water supply to Delhi in its bid to target the ruling party by creating water crisis in the national capital.
"Ahead of the voting on May 25 (in Delhi), BJP has hatched a new conspiracy to target AAP and disturb the people of Delhi. Under this conspiracy, through its Haryana Government, the BJP has stopped the water flow to Delhi," Atishi said in a press conference.
"This has been done to disturb the people of Delhi and cause a water crisis here. Yamuna water supply to Delhi is being stopped. An investigation revealed that the Haryana Government is stopping the Yamuna water flow to Delhi," she added.