🦹Amid a growing war of words over Yamuna's water quality, the Haryana government is planning to file a defamation case against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal over his claim that the BJP-ruled state was mixing poison into Yamuna water, as per the reports.
𝐆The saffron party will also be approaching the Election Commission (ECI) with a complaint against the former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
🍨Meanwhile, the claim was soon refuted by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), saying that Kejriwal’s allegations are factually wrong and without any basis.
Arvind Kejriwal Attacked Haryana Govt
♎On Monday, Kejriwal accused the BJP-led Haryana government of contaminating the water reaching Delhi, likening it to "biological warfare" and suggesting it could lead to mass casualties in the capital.
🧸"The people of Delhi get water to drink from Haryana and UP. In Yamuna, water flows into Delhi from Haryana. BJP's Haryana govt has poisoned the water in Yamuna. However, the Delhi Jal Board was vigilant enough to stop that water from coming to Delhi otherwise - that would have caused mass genocide in Delhi... A few countries use biological weapons to poison river water," stated AAP Chief.
Haryana Govt Trashes AAP's 'Haryana poisoning Yamuna' Claim
In response, the BJP ꧋was quick to condemn Kejriwal's claims. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said that Kejriwal had lost his conscience and said he should apologise to the people.
"Kejriwal has a habit of levelling baseless allegations and then running away. 'Ek kahawat hai—thukoo aur bagho (There is a saying, first spit and then run away)," Saini told reporters, as quoted by PTI.
🌟A statement issued by the Haryana government late on Monday night quoted Saini as saying, "People of Haryana consider Yamuna a holy river and worship it. Why would they mix poison in the river?"
Delhi Jal Board's Statement
ꦺDelhi Jal Board CEO Shilpa Shinde on Monday refuted AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's allegation that the Haryana government has released "poison" into the Yamuna River.
🅰In a letter to Delhi chief secretary Dharmendra, Shinde called the allegations "factually incorrect, without basis, and misleading," while emphasising the potential harm caused by such claims to interstate relations and public confidence.
"During winter, ammonia levels in the Yamuna naturally increase due to reduced flow and the mixing of untreated sewage or industrial waste upstream. DJB's water treatment plants are designed to handle ammonia levels up to 1 ppm and even higher concentrations, such as 6.5 ppm at present, through dilution with water from the Carrier Lined Channel and Delhi Sub-Branch," the letter said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
🐟Shinde explained that reduced flow during the winter season exacerbates the impact of untreated sewage upstream, but the Haryana government has already initiated measures to address the issue, including laying pipelines to comply with the National Green Tribunal's orders.
🐠The DJB CEO urged the chief secretary to forward the matter to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, noting that such "fear-mongering statements" will not only mislead Delhi residents but also harm relations with Haryana, a critical upstream state.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission 🐻ordered the Haryana government to submit a factual report by January 28 regarding allegations of increased ammonia levels in the water supplied from Haryana to Delhi. The directive followed a representation jointly submitted by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
🦋Delhi is set to vote in the assembly elections on February 5, and access to clean water for city residents is one of the hot topics in the high-voltage campaign in the national capital.
