Delhi Water Minister Atishi began her indefinite hunger strike today in south Delhi's Bhogal to press on her demand for more water from Haryana.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj were present as she began her fast.
Sunita Kejriwal read a message from the Chief Minister, currently lodged in Tihar jail, in which he expressed hope that Atishi's 'tapasya' would be successful.
The Chief Minister said he was immensely pained to see on TV the plight of the people facing water shortage amid the ongoing intense heatwave.
"It's our culture to provide water to the thirsty. Delhi gets water from the neighbouring states. We hoped support of the neighbouring states in such intense heat. But, Haryana reduced Delhi's water share.
"Although there are governments of different parties in the two states, is this the time for politics over water?" he said, referring to the BJP in power in Haryana.
Atishi, accompanied by Sunita Kejriwal, Mr Singh, Mr Bharadwaj, and other leaders paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat before heading to Bhogal.
"There is such intense heat in Delhi and the water requirements of the people have increased. In such times, the people need more water, but there is a shortage. All the water in Delhi comes from its neighbouring states," Atishi said as she began her indefinite fast.
She said her appeal to the Haryana government and her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help did not yield any result and Delhi is not getting adequate water.
"I am left with no choice now but to start an indefinite hunger strike since I was unable to watch the plight of the men, women, and children of Delhi. This indefinite Jal Satyagrah will continue till Delhi gets water from Haryana," she said.
Delhi gets 1,005 MGD of water that is supplied to people in the city. For the last two weeks, Haryana has given 513 MGD instead of 613 MGD water to Delhi. More than 28 lakh people face shortage when Haryana stops 100 MGD of water, she said.
Haryana has further reduced the release of Delhi's share - by 120 MGD in the last two days, she claimed.
In the morning, the minister said she would begin her indefinite hunger strike in Bhogal as, despite all efforts, the Haryana government was not releasing the full share of Delhi's water.
"I will start 'Pani Satyagraha' from today... I will start an indefinite fast at Bhogal, Jangpura from noon until the people of Delhi get their rightful share of water from Haryana," she said on X earlier in the day.
Delhi is facing an unprecedented heatwave, and as a result, the water demand has increased.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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