The BJP on Tuesday questioned the absence of a summer action plan to deal with “acute power and water crises” being faced by the residents of the Capital.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari claimed that more than two crore people were suffering due to the ongoing heatwave even as the summer action plan, which used to be routinely prepared by the Delhi government in the month of February itself, was non-existent this year.
“We don’t see any plan on the ground due to which the problem of water supply has become very grave...The people are suffering from heat now, and because of the visionless Delhi government, will soon have to bear buses and vehicles sinking on waterlogged roads followed by deaths during the winter season due to cold wave,” Mr. Tiwari alleged.
“There is only one department under the Chief Minister, the Delhi Jal Board. After [Arvind] Kejriwal took charge of the DJB, this Department is incurring heavy losses. When the local people of Malviya Nagar gheraoed Kejriwal and MLA Somnath [Bharti], the CM then promised that he will solve the problem within 2 to 3 days. However, the problem has not been solved till date,” he alleged further.
The North East Delhi MP claimed that no water was being supplied in Old Delhi, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Rajender Nagar and Paharganj. There was also shortage of water in Model Town, Chandrawal, Rohini, Dwarka, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Maujpur.
Accusing Mr. Kejriwal of holding just one meeting to discuss the issue of water availability in the Capital throughout the year, Mr. Tiwari accused the Chief Minister of being responsible for the lack of adequate water supply affecting 37 lakh citizens.
“Delhi needs 1,125 mgd water daily but the DJB is supplying only 895 mgd. There is a shortage of 230 mgd of water daily in Delhi; 1 mgd contains 38 lakh litres of water and, accordingly, 37 lakh people are not being supplied water in Delhi for which Kejriwal is responsible,” he claimed.
“Today, the Delhi BJP announces that just after coming to power we will supply drinking water to every house through taps... Mr. Kejriwal is misleading the people by making promises for freebies, which has already been rejected by the people,” he added.