In the wake of plummeting water supply at a time when the city is reeling under intense heat-wave conditions, Delhi Water Minister Atishi approached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a request for the release of additional water to the national capital.
In a letter to the chief minister of the neighbouring state, she told him to continue to release the additional water for one month, till the monsoon arrives, so that Delhi’ites don’t have to face scarcity of water during the peak summer.
Besides, Atishi also wrote to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, urgently him to release additional water into the Yamuna for at least one month.
She described the scarcity of water this year as one of the worst crises the national capital has faced in the past. She said, unlike the previous years, the demand for water this year has gone up manifold.
“With the temperature touching almost 50 degrees Celsius, Delhi has stretched out its water resources to the maximum. To tackle the existing crisis, we urgently need Haryana to release additional water into the Yamuna River at the earliest,” she wrote in her letter to the Haryana CM.
Atishi further said that the water level at the pond is 670.3 feet as against the normal of 674.50 feet.
“This reduction in water level has adversely affected the water production capacity of our water treatment plants. However, to cater to the demands of people living in Delhi, we urgently need water in Yamuna to meet our day-to-day requirements,” the letter added.
Atishi, in her letter to the UP CM, said the intensity of the heatwave is such that help is required from all quarters. “Sir, through this letter, I wish to appeal to you to kindly consider our request and provide additional water to Delhi for the next one month so that people living in Delhi can comfortably surpass this peak summer. The Delhi government and people living in the national capital will be anxiously waiting for a positive response,” the letter added.