Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday 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 had been 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.
"The Supreme Court has directed Haryana to keep supplying the earlier quantity of water till May 21, which means the state could reduce water supply after Monday," he said.
If that happens, it would create an "unprecedented shortage of water" in Delhi and could lead to a "serious" law and order situation, the chief minister said.
"I would urge you (PM) to kindly use your good offices to persuade Haryana to continue supplying same level of water that it has been supplying for the last 22 years and not to disrupt it till the issue is finally decided by the courts," Kejriwal said in the letter.
In a letter to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, the chief minister said, "Just two days are left, we need to act fast to prevent a crisis."
Baijal told Kejriwal that he had taken up the issue with different agencies to ensure adequate water supply in Delhi.
"I have taken up the matter with Govt. of Haryana and Union Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of India so that adequate water supply is ensured for people of Delhi - Hon'ble CM @ArvindKejriwal," Baijal tweeted.
Kejriwal had on Thursday written to his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar and the Delhi L-G over the issue.
The Haryana government had on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it would maintain status quo on supply of Yamuna river water to Delhi till May 21.
The apex court asked the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to request Haryana for maintenance of status quo on water supply and directed Haryana to take an independent decision on the matter.
In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal said disruption in water supply from Haryana could affect the Chandrawal water treatment plan, which supplies water to the NDMC area where Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament, embassies and major establishments like railway stations and hospitals are located.
"In addition to affecting the public at large, any disruption in water supply would affect all these establishments also.
"The Delhi government has already filed an application before the Upper Yamuna River Board. However, final adjudication by the board could take some time," Kejriwal said.