With Delhi’s elections just days away, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in what they describe as “water terrorism” to sabotage the city’s elections. In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi raised alarm over the dangerously high ammonia levels in the Yamuna River, which are contaminating the city’s water supply.

Atishi’s letter highlights that the ammonia concentration in the water has reached six times the treatable level, posing a significant risk to public health in Delhi. She called on the CEC to take immediate action, urging that only ammonia-free raw water be released into Delhi from Haryana, or that additional water be supplied to dilute the toxic levels of ammonia.

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In support of her claims, Atishi cited a note from the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), confirming that the DJB’s water treatment plants are designed to handle ammonia only up to 1 ppm (parts per million). However, recent reports indicate ammonia levels have surged to over 7 ppm, or 700% above the treatable limit, in the last two days.

The rising ammonia levels have severely strained the capacity of Delhi’s water treatment plants, leading to a 15-20 per cent reduction in water supply, affecting approximately 34 lakh residents. Atishi emphasised the serious health risks posed by such high ammonia levels, which can lead to kidney damage, respiratory issues, and long-term organ harm, the CM mentioned in the letter.

The Delhi CM accused the Haryana government of intentionally releasing untreated sewage and industrial waste into the Yamuna, further escalating the water crisis. She described this as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the conduct of free and fair elections in Delhi, calling it water terrorism.

“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 CM added.