AAP MLAs visit CR Paatil’s home, seek rightful water share from Haryana

New Delhi, June 16

A day after writing a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs visited his residence on Sunday morning to demand that the BJP-led Haryana Government release Delhi’s rightful share of water.

The delegation, led by chief whip and MLA Dilip Pandey, emphasised the urgent need for inter-state coordination to resolve the Capital’s worsening water crisis.

“We visited the Union Jal Shakti Minister’s residence because the people of Delhi are facing a severe water shortage due to the falling water level of Yamuna,” said Pandey. “In this scorching heat, water is life. The crisis can be alleviated with a little coordination from the Union Minister,” he added.

Pandey highlighted that the Himachal Government was ready to supply water to Delhi, but the blockage lies with Haryana. He asserted, “If the Union Jal Shakti Minister plays a guardian’s role and facilitates inter-state coordination, then the people of Delhi will get water.”

The AAP delegation, which included former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, Rakhi Birla, Durgesh Pathak and other MLAs, handed over a letter to the minister’s representative as he was unavailable. Criticising the political manoeuvring around the issue, Pandey said, “Some people are doing politics on the water crisis, but the AAP-led Delhi Government is working on solving it.”

Pandey raised concerns about water theft and illegal sand mining, claiming, “Water mafias are stealing water by installing pipes in Munak Canal, and sand mafias are blocking the flow of Yamuna by building dams and doing illegal sand mining. No action is being taken by the Uttar Pradesh Police.”

He commended Delhi’s Water Minister Atishi for her on-ground efforts, saying, “To stop wastage of water, Atishi is working with departmental officers, DM and SDM, ensuring that not a single drop of water is wasted due to pipe leakage.”

Regarding the AAP MLAs’ visit, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor alleged internal discontent within the AAP and blamed Atishi for politicising the issue.

“The AAP is a divided house with most MLAs fed up with the dirty politics of the party leadership, especially Atishi,” Kapoor said.

“Despite threats and efforts by Atishi and Pandey, hardly eight MLAs turned up outside Paatil’s house, forcing AAP to abandon its agitation,” he alleged.