In a letter to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday about the concerns about the ‘tanker mafia’, Atishi alleged that despite her instructions, the chief secretary and the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board reduced the number of tankers deployed for water supply.

In the letter, the Delhi water minister demanded the deployment of an ACP-level police officer to patrol the stretch of Munak Canal in Delhi to ensure that no illegal water-filling activity takes place.

“Issues relating to the tanker mafia have been raised by the media in the midst of this water crisis. The Hon’ble LG had himself raised this concern. This is a very serious issue,” she confessed in the letter.

“There is a need for an inquiry into the potential collusion of senior officers in the Delhi government with the tanker mafia as it seems there has been a deliberate and substantial reduction of the tankers deployed by the Delhi Jal Board in the last year. In January 2023, 1,179 tankers were deployed by the Delhi Jal Board, and in June 2023 this number was 1203. However, the number was reduced to 888 in January 2024, without any approval from me; without any consultation with me,” Atishi said.

“I repeatedly kept flagging the issue of water tanker shortage and asking the CEO DJB to increase the number of tankers, but he did not do so,” she rued in her letter.

“On 14th March, 3rd April, and again on 12th April 2024, I directed the Chief Secretary to increase the number of water tankers to the same number as deployed in previous years, but he did not do so. This reduction of water tankers deployed by the DJB is what has led to the possible proliferation of private tanker mafia, who are illegally selling water. If the senior officers of the Delhi Government have not increased the number of water tankers deployed in DJB despite the instructions of the minister in charge, there is a serious concern regarding their collusion with the tanker mafia. It is only when a severe water crisis started and I threatened to investigate this collusion in an open meeting, were the number of tankers increased,” the Delhi water minister said.

“Even now, the number of water tankers deployed by DJB is lesser than in June 2023, while there are much more severe heatwave conditions and a far greater shortage of water. Common sense says that the number of water tankers deployed by DJB should have been more in this heat wave, than in previous years. However, the fact that this is not the case leads one to believe that there is collusion between the senior officers of the Delhi Government and the tanker mafia,” she said.

“Therefore, an inquiry committee should be set up to look into the collusion of the Chief Secretary and CEO DJB with the tanker mafia. Pending inquiry both officers may be suspended, to not influence the proceedings,” the Delhi water minister said in the letter.