Delhi water crisis: Haryana chief minister hits out at AAP govt

"Lying is in their DNA," Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini hit out at the AAP government in Delhi on Sunday over its allegation that Haryana is not releasing the national capital's share of water.

Saini maintained that Haryana was releasing water to the national capital over and above the agreed-upon quantity and his party, the BJP, blamed the AAP government for the water crisis in Delhi.

The ruling BJP in Haryana also claimed that the state was supplying 1,049 cusecs of water from the Yamuna to Delhi.

The Delhi government has during the past fortnight repeatedly accused Haryana of not releasing the national capital's share of water.

Asked by reporters about the real situation given the AAP dispensation's accusation, Saini alleged, "Lying is in their DNA. If you look at their DNA, they cannot live without lying. They work by relying on lies."

He added that the AAP government had raised the issue earlier as well but it was found that Haryana was giving water as per the agreement.

Saini asserted that as per the Supreme Court's direction, Haryana now will release to the national capital all the water it receives from neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

The apex court on Thursday directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water available with it for Delhi and asked Haryana to facilitate the flow of this water so that it reaches the national capital.

Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Atishi wrote to Nayab Saini on Sunday, requesting him to ensure that 1,050 cusecs of water are released from the Munak Canal for the national capital, otherwise "Delhi will have a major crisis in next 1-2 days".

Delhi is supposed to receive around 1,050 cusec water at Munak but the supply has been reduced, she claimed.

Saini said AAP is in power in Punjab as well and the Delhi government should ask the government in Punjab to give SYL canal water so that Haryana's shortage is overcome and the national capital too gets more water.

On the apex court directions to Haryana to facilitate the flow of surplus water released by Himachal Pradesh, Saini said, "People of Delhi are our own, they should not face any problem."

"We are giving over and above the agreed-upon quantity," he added.

Hitting out at AAP, Saini said, "But they tell lies to the media that Haryana is not giving water. Why will we do so?"

Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad, while replying to a question by reporters on water from Himachal which is to be given to Delhi, said, "I contacted the chief secretary of HP yesterday and told him that their additional chief secretary of irrigation should coordinate with his Haryana counterpart on the issue."

On whether Himachal Pradesh has released water or not, he said, "I am not saying whether water has come or not. I don't have any knowledge of that, but I will have to check it".

Several Haryana ministers have recently hit out at the Kejriwal government, blaming its "mismanagement" for Delhi's water crisis and said it has become a habit of the AAP dispensation to blame Haryana on every issue.