BJP workers try to cut water supply to Delhi Jal Board chief's house, face water cannons

BJP workers and RWA people being hit by police water cannon during a protest over water crisis and an alleged scam, outside Delhi Jal Board Chairman Satyendar Jains residence in New Delhi, Monday. Pic/ Pallav Paliwal

The police used water cannons to disperse Delhi BJP leaders and workers as they tried to cut the water connection to Delhi Jal Board chairman (DJB) Satyendar Jain's house on Monday to protest the alleged poor water supply in the city.

The protesters also threatened to cut off the water supply to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence if the issue is not resolved within the next two days.

The protest came a day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers allegedly damaged the water connection to Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta's residence in Patel Nagar during a protest against the Haryana government for allegedly not providing the capital its share of water.

BJP leaders and workers gathered outside the DJB's zonal office in Civil Lines area on Monday. They alleged that people in the city were facing a crisis due to the "poor" water supply.

Addressing the protesters, Gupta said, "People in Delhi are craving for each drop of water. The ministers of the Kejriwal government will realise the problems being faced by the people when their water supply is cut off."

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Later, the protesters reached the residence of Jain, who lives in the same area, and tried to cut the water connection.

"We used a JCB machine to remove the waterline outside Jain's residence. We will cut the water connection to Kejriwal's residence, too, if the Delhi government fails to resolve the water crisis being faced by the people in the next two days," said Delhi BJP media head Navin Kumar.

"The police used water cannons and detained our men during the protest," he said.

On Saturday, DJB vice chairman Raghav Chadha alleged that Haryana was withholding part of Delhi's share of water. He said the DJB had moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to Haryana to release the capital's legitimate share of water.

The DJB has been supplying 945 million gallons of water a day (MGD) to city residents this summer against the demand of 1,150 MGD, he said.

At present, Delhi has been receiving 479 MGD against 609 MGD from Haryana. Besides, Delhi draws 90 MGD groundwater and receives 250 MGD from the Upper Ganga Canal, he had said.

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