New Delhi – June 13, 2024
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government submitted a fresh affidavit to the Supreme Court on Thursday, stating its inability to take action against the tanker mafias operating on the “Haryana side of the Yamuna River.” The affidavit suggested that Haryana should be responsible for addressing the issue.
This development comes as Delhi continues to struggle with a severe water crisis. The city police have initiated patrolling around the Munak Canal (Bawana Nahar) to monitor the activities of tanker mafias reportedly active in the area.
Supreme Court Criticism
The Supreme Court had criticized the AAP government on Wednesday, highlighting the impact of tanker mafias on the water crisis in Delhi. The court questioned why water, which is transported via tankers, could not be supplied through pipelines. The court demanded to know what steps had been taken to address the recurring problem, emphasizing the need for concrete action against tanker mafias and to control water wastage from the two barrages.
“There are visuals on every channel that the tanker mafia is working in Delhi. What measures have you taken in this regard? What measures have you taken to control water waste coming through the two barrages if this is a recurring problem? Please show us what action or FIR have you lodged against tanker mafias,” the bench observed.
AAP’s Response and Allegations
Following the Supreme Court’s remarks, the blame game over the water crisis intensified. Delhi Minister Atishi accused senior officials of colluding with tanker mafias to reduce the number of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers, demanding an inquiry into the matter. She alleged that the number of DJB tankers had been significantly reduced without her approval, contributing to the proliferation of private tanker mafias.
“There is a need for an enquiry into the potential collusion by senior officers in the Delhi government with the tanker mafia because it seems that there has been a deliberate and substantial reduction of the tankers deployed by the Delhi Jal Board in the last one year,” Atishi claimed.
She provided data showing that the number of DJB tankers had decreased from 1,203 in June last year to 888 in January 2024, despite her repeated requests to increase the number of tankers. She directed quick response teams to inspect major pipelines to prevent leakages and requested the deployment of an ACP-level police officer to patrol the Munak Canal area to prevent illegal water-filling activities.
Governor’s Intervention
The Lieutenant Governor (LG) Secretariat wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner, urging action against the tanker mafia involved in water theft from the Munak Canal. Raj Niwas officials criticized the DJB for not filing any complaints or FIRs with the police regarding the tanker mafia.
BJP’s Reaction
The Delhi BJP, led by its president Virendra Sachdeva, filed a complaint with the police commissioner seeking an FIR and an investigation into water theft by the tanker mafia and possible collusion with officials. Sachdeva accused AAP MLAs of being involved in the water tanker racket and misleading the public.
In response to the ongoing water crisis, BJP organized a ‘Matka Phod’ (break pots) protest, led by newly-elected South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and former MLA Brahm Singh Tanwar, demanding the resignations of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Water Minister Atishi Marlena.
Conclusion
As the water crisis in Delhi deepens, the conflict between the AAP government and opposition parties escalates, with each side blaming the other for the severe shortage. The Supreme Court’s intervention has highlighted the urgency of the issue, pressing for immediate and effective measures to address the crisis and hold accountable those responsible for the water mafia operations.
