Atishi writes to CM over ‘water crisis’ in city

Amid growing complaints of water scarcity in the national capital, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, has written to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, urging her to convene an urgent meeting to address what she described was a “severe water crisis” affecting lakhs of residents.

In a strongly worded letter sent on Saturday, Atishi accused the BJP-led Delhi government of gross negligence and administrative failure, warning that the city is “on the brink of a humanitarian crisis”.

“It is only May and already people are suffering due to an acute shortage of water,” she said. “If this is the situation now, what will happen when temperatures rise further? Is the BJP government now planning to leave Delhi’s drinking water needs to divine intervention,” she asked.

The AAP leader said several areas in Delhi were experiencing water supply disruptions for up to 24 hours at a time.

“Women standing in queues in front of tankers, children waiting with buckets, families buying water to survive — are these the scenes of the ‘Viksit Delhi’ you promised,” she asked in the letter addressed to CM Gupta.

Atishi also criticised what she termed was “silence” of the Chief Minister and her ministers in the face of public distress. She questioned the effectiveness of the “four-engine BJP government” — at the Centre, in the office of the Lieutenant Governor, in the MCD, and now in the Delhi government — saying it had failed to ensure even basic services like water supply.

Calling the situation a failure of governance rather than a routine administrative lapse, she urged the Chief Minister to uphold democratic traditions and meet AAP MLAs to discuss the issue and formulate an action plan.

“All AAP MLAs are ready to meet you at your convenience and hope you will grant us time at the earliest to discuss this serious matter,” the letter concluded.

Delhi BJP president refutes AAP’s claim

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday hit back at AAP leader Atishi Marlena over her recent remarks regarding a severe water crisis in the Capital, dismissing them as “another lie” in what he described as AAP’s daily habit of political misinformation.

Sachdeva accused AAP leaders of manufacturing a false narrative and said there was no widespread water crisis in the city despite the scorching summer. “It’s the last week of May, and there is no panic or citywide outrage about water scarcity. This is because the government has implemented a summer action plan and significantly improved water distribution systems,” he said.

Sachdeva highlighted that water tankers in Delhi are now GPS-enabled, helping ensure timely delivery to the areas in need. “This proactive approach has made a visible difference compared to previous years,” he added.

Taking a swipe at Atishi, Sachdeva said, “Before penning a letter to the Chief Minister about an imaginary water crisis, Atishi should have recalled that last year, headlines were dominated by her government’s inability to manage water supply, resulting in protests by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and complaints from slum clusters over the non-availability of tankers.”

The BJP leader clarified that while some areas may still be facing water shortages, calling it a full-blown crisis is misleading.

Delhi