Delhi Lt Governor V Ok Saxena on Tuesday wrote an open letter to jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal–who’s in jail in reference to the liquor coverage case–claiming the dying of a lady in a struggle over fetching water displays the federal government’s failure. The L-G claimed Delhi’s Water Minister Atishi used the incident for “slender political objectives”.
The letter got here days after Atishi wrote to the L-G, asking him to droop the CEO of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) after a lady was killed following a quarrel along with her neighbour over fetching water from a typical faucet within the Farsh Bazar space of northeast Delhi.
L-G’s Letter To Kejriwal
“I used to be deeply distressed on the insensitive communication from the Minister for Water… Atishi on Sunday. Whereas I used to be but to obtain the letter, it characteristically discovered its means on varied social and mainstream media platforms, the second it was signed. She has chosen to make use of the unlucky dying of a lady in East Delhi for slender and partisan political objectives,” Saxena charged.
Having underlined the insufficient provide of water because the trigger behind the incident, Atishi has paradoxically indicted her personal authorities of greater than 9 years, the L-G mentioned.
“Her notice certainly is a prima facie act of contrition, inaction and inefficiency over the previous nearly 10 years,” he mentioned within the letter.
Asserting that this “unlucky incident (girl’s dying) is just not the one such case of its variety within the context of Delhi”, he mentioned many such incidents over water shortage have occurred up to now primarily because of the failure of the federal government.
“Such situations have turn into a recurrent phenomenon 12 months after 12 months and have been extensively reported in media over the past 10 years. I’m enclosing a snapshot of some information clippings, beginning 2017 for illustration. Water woes within the capital, particularly in settlements the place the poor stay, have exacerbated over the past decade.
“Your minister’s hasty missive to me is an admission of those failures and defaults of efficiency of your authorities and quantity to facile makes an attempt at shrugging accountability off, a posh drawback,” he added.
“As an alternative of fixing the iniquitous water provide, you and your ministers created a chimera of free water. Deception of individuals has been mastered into an artwork type by you and your minister,” he mentioned added.
Saxena cited official figures to focus on his factors. He cited The Financial Survey 2023-24, tabled within the latest Finances Session of the Delhi Meeting.
“Over the past decade, water therapy capability grew marginally from 906 MGD to 946 MGD, barely a 4.4 per cent enhance. Throughout the identical interval, the inhabitants of town has grown considerably by 15 per cent.
“The general shortfall in water provide quantities to about 290 MGD. Of the whole water being provided, 120 MGD comes from groundwater extraction, which can also be a gross exaggeration. I’m positive that you’re conscious that of the 16 Ranney wells, 5 are non-functional. Equally, numerous tubewells are additionally dysfunctional,” he added.
The proportion of “unaccounted for water” — a sum of water leakages by the use of transmission and distribution losses, water theft and non-payment of dues — noticed a pointy enhance from 45 per cent in 2015 to 58 per cent in 2022-2023, the L-G mentioned.
“2015, of the 906 MGD of water handled, solely 498 MGD was accounted for. In 2022-23, of the 946 MGD handled, barely 397 MGD is accounted for. Accordingly, over the past decade, web water availability has decreased by greater than 100 MGD because of the felony neglect by your Authorities,” Saxena added.
He mentioned that of the about 2.5 crore individuals within the metropolis, greater than two crore are disadvantaged of consuming water provide in various levels, particularly in unauthorized colonies, slum clusters and to a lesser extent, even in organized developed colonies.
“It merely factors to the truth that there was no effort by any means over the past ten years for plugging the leaks and we appear to be spending 1000’s of crores in pumping water right into a leaking bucket,” the L-G mentioned.
Atishi Hits Again
Atishi hit again at Saxena over the open letter, holding him accountable for the stoppage of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) works.
She alleged the L-G inspired the officers who obstructed work and didn’t take any motion in opposition to them regardless of repeated requests.
Atishi’s Observe To LG
Within the notice, Atishi urged Saxena to “institute an unbiased enquiry into the acts of omission and fee of the chief secretary, in addition to officers of the finance division, city growth division and DJB”.
Days after the communication, Saxena penned a strongly worded open letter to Kejriwal.
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