No time to indulge in politics: Kejriwal to BJP on water shortage in Delhi

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, 31 May, urged the BJP to ask its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to provide water to the national capital for a month, saying it was not the time to indulge in politics.

The national capital has been facing a severe water shortage, with water minister Atishi accusing Haryana of not releasing Delhi's share of water.

Referring to the BJP's planned protest against the AAP government later in the day, he said it "will not solve the problem".

"I request everyone with folded hands that instead of doing politics at this time, let us together provide relief to the people of Delhi," Kejriwal said on X.

"If BJP talks to its governments of Haryana and UP and gets some water to Delhi for a month, the people of Delhi will appreciate this step of the BJP very much. Such extreme heat is beyond anyone's control. But if we all work together, we can provide relief to people," he said.

In such scorching heat the demand for water has increased a lot, he noted, adding that the water that Delhi used to get from neighbouring states has also reduced.

"That means demand increased a lot and supply decreased. We all have to solve this together," he stressed.

On 31 May, the Delhi government moved the Supreme Court to seek a direction to Haryana to supply more water to the crisis-hit national capital, sources said.

The AAP government in Delhi has told the top court that the water demand in the city has risen significantly due to heatwave conditions, and neighbouring Haryana be directed to release extra water for a month, they said.

It is the responsibility of all to work towards fulfilling the water needs of Delhi, the city government said.

Kejriwal, who is out on interim bail till Saturday, said the entire country is experiencing unprecedented heat due to which there is a water and electricity crisis across the country at this time.

However, he said the power situation is under control in Delhi.

"Last year, the peak demand for electricity in Delhi was 7438 MW. In comparison, this year the peak demand has reached 8302 MW. But despite this, the electricity situation in Delhi is under control, there are no power cuts like other states," he added.