Atishi writes to L-G over 'water crisis', seeks removal of Delhi Jal Board CEO

Expressing concern over the incident in East Delhi where a woman lost her life in a scuffle over alleged shortfall in water supply AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi on Sunday urged Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to immediately suspend the CEO of Delhi Jal Board within 24 hours as the criminal negligence happend on his watchAtishi also requested LG Saxena to look into water supply concerns in the national capitalIn a letter dated April 14 Atishi wrote A shocking incident has happened in the Farsh Bazar Bhikam Singh Colony area of East Delhi where shortage of water supply led to violence and has culminated in the death of a woman For more than a year CM had given clear directions and a road map for improving water supply in Delhi For the last 6 months the undersigned gave repeated directions enclosed to the CEO of Delhi Jal Board and the Chief Secretary to ensure augmentation of water supply so that there is no shortage of water when the onset of summer happensShe said despite repeated directions no action has been taken to prevent the water crisis in the cityThe minister claimed that over the last few weeks many reminders were issued to the CEO of DJB and the chief secretary to ensure that water supply in the city be augmented through the installation of tube wells and water tankersGrievances regarding water shortage have regularly been sent to Chief Secretary on WhatsApp As recently as April 3 2024 directions for ensuring adequate water supply in the summers were given to Chief Secretary and I asked for an actiontakenreport on the steps being taken by DJB However on April 4 2024 the CEO of DJB had the audacity to send me a note enclosed stating that I would not be given any information regarding the water supply situation in Delhi because the Model Code of Conduct is in force the minister wrote to the LGShe stated that it was callous inaction of the officers of Delhi Jal Board that led to the woman losing her life in the scuffle over water shortageThis inaction is tantamount to criminal negligence and cannot be ignored immediate and exemplary action must be taken against the highest level of officers of DJB she addedShe alleged further that not only has there been inaction by fficers of the Delhi Jal Board there has also been a concerted conspiracy to stop the funds of the Delhi Jal Board in the FY 202324Nonrelease of funds by the Finance Department has brought DJB to a standstill for the last 810 months she addedShe added that it was incumbent on the LG to take immediate action against the officers responsible for the water shortage that led to the loss of life in East DelhiEarlier a 15yearold girl was taken into custody by Delhi police after she allegedly stabbed a woman during a scuffle over a water suupplyrelated dispute in Shahdaras Farsh Bazar in the national capitalThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever