The ongoing water crisis in Delhi has led to protests, vandalism, and heated political exchanges throughout the capital. On Sunday, unidentified individuals vandalized the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in Chhatarpur amid the severe water shortage. Footage shared by news agency ANI showed shattered window panes and broken earthen pots at the DJB office.
BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri expressed understanding of the public’s anger but condemned the destruction of public property.
“It is natural. The people can do anything when they are angry. I am grateful to the workers who controlled those people…It is the government’s and people’s property. There is no benefit in damaging this property.”
Tensions also rose in the Dwarka district, where a dispute over access to water from a common tap resulted in three people being injured and hospitalized at Indira Gandhi Hospital. The Delhi Police confirmed that two PCR calls were made regarding the incident, and cross-cases have been registered based on statements from both parties. They clarified that there was no communal angle to the conflict and that an investigation is underway. BJP MP Harsh Malhotra accused the AAP government of corruption and mismanagement, claiming, “Delhi government is receiving enough water for the public of Delhi. The shortage that we are facing today is because of their corruption, non-planning, and non-action.”
In response to the escalating crisis, Delhi water minister Atishi wrote to Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, requesting the deployment of personnel to protect major water pipelines from potential sabotage. She said a recent incident involved deliberate damage to a key pipeline in South Delhi, worsening the water shortage.
Read: Before blaming Haryana, Delhi should improve its water distribution system: Saini
BJP MP from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari, who led a ‘matka-phod’ (earthen pot breaking) protest, said, “Every year water crisis happens… Who is Atishi cheating? These are lazy people, they neither have any work policy nor any intention, they just want to loot the treasury…I want to tell Atishi that there is a limit to lying…The people of Delhi will punish them.”
Echoing these sentiments, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva blamed the crisis on water theft, tanker mafias, and neglected infrastructure. He criticized the Delhi government for not having a summer action plan and for failing to address issues with the water supply system over the past decade.
BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat and other party workers held a ‘Matka Phod’ protest in Delhi’s Najafgarh. She also inspected a water pipeline in Dwarka and reported significant water wastage due to broken pipes.
“Private water tankers are costing them a lot of money and they are unable to avail government tankers…,” Sehrawat said, urging the Delhi government to address these infrastructural issues.
Bansuri Swaraj, BJP MP from New Delhi, accused the AAP government of fabricating the crisis, saying, “Delhi has an ample amount of water, and Haryana is discharging more water than the agreement. However, the AAP government in its one-decade-long governance brought Delhi Jal Board into 7,300 crore of loss…They made no repairs in Delhi Jal Board’s infrastructure and 40 per cent of water gets wasted or stolen by illegal tanker mafias, backed by the AAP government.”