LG attacks Kejriwal over water scarcity issue

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal today hit out at Arvind Kejriwal over his letter on a possible water crisis next week, saying that the chief minister should have discussed the matter earlier with him given its importance rather than spending time in "dharnas without reason".

The LG was referring to the dharna of Kejriwal, his ministers and AAP MLAs near the LG Secretariat earlier this week against the committee constituted by Baijal for installation and monitoring of CCTV cameras in the city.

Early in the day, the chief minister wrote to Baijal requesting him to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in ensuring sufficient water supply from Harayana.

Baijal wrote back to Kejriwal assuring him of full support in resolution of the issue of adequate water supply to the people of Delhi.

In his letter to Kejriwal, the Lt Governor said that the CM mentioned this (water crisis) matter to him on May 16 and that too along with other issues without any accompanying material or background note on such a "complex issue".

According to a statement issued by the LG office, the Lt Governor said that before meeting him on May 16, the CM chose to cancel each weekly scheduled meeting on Wednesdays for the last two months.

"Given the importance and complexity of the issue, CM should have met and discussed the matter with him earlier along with officers of Delhi Jal Board, rather than spending time on dharnas without reason' and now sending frantic letters and messages at this late juncture when the matter has escalated to a critical stage," L-G office said quoting Baijal as saying in his letter to Kejriwal.

According to the statement, Lt Governor also observed that the manner in which all the letters sent by the CM are released on social media even before reaching his office, "betrays an attempt to sensationalize" the issue rather than seriously resolve it.

In the morning, Kejriwal also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in ensuring sufficient water supply from Haryana as the national capital stares at a possible water crisis next week.

In his letter to the prime minister, Kejriwal said the city was receiving 1,133 cusecs of water from Haryana since 1996, but recently, for the first time in 22 years, the neighbouring state had contested Delhi's right over this water and partially stopped the supply to the national capital.