Delhi minister Atishi said on Monday that she would continue her hunger strike until the Haryana government releases the city’s "rightful share” of water. Her hunger strike entered the fourth day on Monday.
Atishi, who holds the water portfolio in the Delhi government, claimed that for the past three weeks, Haryana has reduced water supply to the national capital by 100 million gallons per day.
She added that 100 million gallons per day amounts to 46 crore litres of water, which can be used by 28 lakh people in Delhi.
Atishi said that her health was suffering because of the hunger strike, but she would continue the protest till the “thirst of these 28 lakh people is not quenched”.
She added: “My blood pressure and sugar levels are dropping and my weight has gone down. My ketone level is very high, which can have harmful effects in the long run. But no matter how much my health suffers, I will continue the fast till Haryana releases water.”
For several weeks, Delhi has been facing a water crisis amid record high temperatures and a heatwave. The maximum temperature had risen to 50 degree Celsius at some places earlier this month. The extreme heat has led to an increase in the demand for potable water, with several neighbourhoods reporting frequent water cuts.
On Sunday, a delegation of leaders from Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party met Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who said he took up the matter with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. Saxena said Saini assured him that he would look into whether his state could provide extra water to Delhi.
Saxena had on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of trying to use the water crisis in the national capital as an opportunity to blame neighbouring states.
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