Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Tuesday wrote to the Election Commission of India, accusing the Haryana government of sabotaging Delhi’s water supply in a deliberate attempt to influence the conduct of free and fair elections in the national capital.
In her letter, she alleged “water terrorism” by Haryana through the release of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the Yamuna River, resulting in dangerously high ammonia levels in the raw water supplied to Delhi.
“In continuation of my letter dated 27 January 2025 highlighting the deliberate attempt by the Government of Haryana to sabotage the water supply of the people of Delhi in an attempt to influence the conduct of free and fair elections in Delhi, I am enclosing a note submitted yesterday i.e. 27 January 2025 by the CEO of Delhi Jal Board to Delhi Chief Secretary on this matter,” Atishi said in the letter.
The enclosed note from the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), she said, reveals that Delhi’s water treatment plants are designed to treat ammonia levels of up to 1 ppm. However, ammonia levels in water received from Haryana have surged to over 7 ppm—700% beyond the treatable limit—over the last two days due to the indiscriminate dumping of untreated sewage and industrial waste.
“These toxic levels of ammonia in water coming from Haryana have rendered Delhi’s water treatment plants almost incapable of treating the water effectively, resulting in curtailment of water supply by 15 to 20% i.e. for approximately 34 lakh people of Delhi,” Atishi noted.
Highlighting the health risks posed by such contamination, she added, “It is a known fact that high ammonia levels in drinking water can lead to a public health crisis causing ailments such as kidney damage, respiratory distress, and even long-term organ damage.”
In her letter, Atishi accused the Haryana government of acting deliberately and maliciously, terming the crisis a case of “water terrorism.”
She wrote, “Despite knowing the toxic effects of releasing ammonia in raw water supply, the note of the CEO of Delhi Jal Board leaves no doubt that it is due to the indiscriminate and deliberate dumping of untreated sewage and industrial waste from Haryana that is causing the present water supply crisis in Delhi. This is not an act of negligence; it is an act of water terrorism to deliberately impact the conduct of free and fair elections in Delhi.”
The AAP leader urged the Election Commission to take immediate cognisance of the issue and prevent this toxic water from coming to Delhi.
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