Stop witch-hunt, focus on solutions: BJP to AAP govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

The BJP today attacked the AAP government and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claiming the government has done little to address the water woes in the areas inhabited by residents belonging to the economically weaker section.

Referring to data received from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Leader of Opposition Vijendra Gupta pointed at a huge gap in demand and supply of the potable water in the city with 2,42,484 complaints pertaining to 'no supply of water' recorded in the city.

Also, the fact that 1,44,451 complaints of water contamination have been recorded by the DJB speaks volumes about the AAP government’s claims of having 9 laboratories for monitoring quality of raw water and potable water production at treatment plants, Gupta added.

The BJP leader alleged the AAP government is unnecessarily indulging in “witch-hunt” on inflated water bills and not taking up the real causes of the problem.

“If the department has round-the-clock quality testing of potable water supplied from the production sites, then why so high number of complaints are received regarding contamination of potable water,” he asked.

Further, the DJB’s record indicates the huge gap in demand and supply of the potable water in the city.

“Are you aware that GPS system installed in DJB water tanker has collapsed?” asked the BJP leader while claiming that the private tanker mafia 

is active in shortage-prone areas.

He accused the the Kejriwal government of looking for “excuses” for sacking former Water Minister Kapil Mishra instead of taking steps to supply potable water to the areas.

The Leader of Opposition also took on the Kejriwal government over its recent below-expectation performance in the three Delhi Municipal Corporations that he attributed to its “non-governance, incompetence and alleged corruption”.

The ground realities are that the bores of DJB are almost dry and mafia has control over the water tanker distribution. Many of the supply lines are chocked. For example, the water in Sangam Vihar is sold at Rs 20 for 200 litre. On the other hand, the local mafia rules at the water bores of the DJB,” Gupta alleged.

In Delhi, the optimum capacity of treatment plants is 829 NGD and 85 MGD from rainy wells and tube wells.

The BJP said that at a time when DJB is dependent on raw water on outside sources, which are not supplying stipulated water to the city, the board has failed to chalk out a plan for alternative source of potable water while nearly 30-40 per cent potable water get wasted due to leakage, theft and private tankers.