Supply to VIPs too will be cut if city faces water shortage, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

The CM said those who will share the water scarcity in the city, along with the common man, would include all Cabinet ministers — both in the Centre and Delhi — himself and all other VIPs in town.

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“Those who have less in life should have more in law… if there is going to be a water cut, it should be in my house as well,” Kejriwal said.

“Before the elections, the Haryana government was supplying Delhi water but after the exit polls it stopped. There should be no politics on such issues. So, this year, if there is a water shortage in Delhi, only the poor should not face the scarcity. It should be faced by all citizens equally starting with me. Only the President, the Prime minister, embassies and emergency services will be exempted,” Kejriwal said.

Addressing the Delhi Assembly a day after passing the vote-on-account, Kejriwal said, “My government is for the poor and the middle-class but we are not against the rich. At least, there is one government for them. Other governments are for industrialists. But there is nothing wrong with being rich, if you have worked hard for it.”

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairperson and AAP MLA Kapil Mishra reiterated that the matter of water supply from Harayna is sub judice and if Haryana releases 450 cusecs of water — as it did last year — Delhi will not face a shortage.

The DJB is supposed to receive 719 cusecs water from Haryana but it received only 450 cusecs last time. In peak summer, the water demand in Delhi reaches approximately 1,000 MGD and Delhi receives approximately 845 MGD, Mishra said.

“Even if Haryana gives Delhi the same amount of water it has been giving in past , we will not face scarcity. During elections, the PM had promised ample water for Dwarka,” Mishra said.

Earlier in the day, AAP MLAs had raised issues of water shortage and infrastructure problems in their constituencies. Rithala MLA Mahindra Goel said, “There is acute water shortage in my area and the problems need to be addressed at the earliest. We must pressure BJP MLAs to convince the Haryana government to release water to Delhi immediately.”