Delhi Water Minister Atishi writes to Delhi LG over water crisis, accuses senior officials of colluding with tanker mafia

Amid the persistent water shortage in the national capital, Delhi Water Minister Atishi has written a letter to Delhi LG VK Saxena raising serious concerns about the potential collusion between senior officers in Delhi Government and the notorious tanker mafia. In a letter to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, she highlighted the significant reduction in the number of water tankers deployed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) over the past year, which she argues has worsened the city's water crisis.

In the letter to Delhi LG, Atishi wrote, "In January 2023, 1179 tankers were deployed by DJB, and in June 2023, this number was 1203. However, this number was reduced to 888 in January 2024, without any approval from me; in fact, without any consultation with me.

"She emphasized that her repeated requests to increase the number of tankers were ignored by the Chief Secretary and CEO of DJB."This reduction of water tankers deployed by the DJB is what has led to the possible proliferation of private tanker mafia, who are illegally selling water," Atishi stated.

She further added that "despite the severe heat wave and heightened water shortages, the DJB has not matched the tanker deployment of previous years. Common sense says that the number of water tankers deployed by DJB should have been more in this heat wave than in previous years."

Atishi has called for an enquiry into the potential collusion, recommending the suspension of the Chief Secretary and the CEO of DJB pending the investigation to prevent any interference. She also pointed out that the issue of illegal water extraction by private tankers from the Munak Canal was raised during a recent meeting with the LG.

"Since Delhi cannot afford any loss of water at a time of such acute heat wave and water crisis, I would like to request the Honourable LG to depute an ACP level police officer to patrol the Delhi stretch of the Munak Canal, so that no private tankers can illegally fill water from there," Atishi wrote.

In the past week, Delhi has faced a severe water shortage, hindering the daily life of residents. The crisis stemmed from a combination of reduced water levels in the Yamuna River and technical issues at key water treatment plants. This disruption has left several areas with little to no water supply, forcing people to rely on tankers and borewells.