‘BJP’s Conspiracy To Inundate Delhi’: AAP

The areas worst affected by the Delhi floods are where the poor live, and where civic amenities including drainage, are weak

In a shocking development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP government and Haryana of a ‘political conspiracy’. AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, addressing the media on Saturday, alleged that the Haryana government and BJP-ruled Centre are “trying to ensure” that there is a flood-like situation in Delhi.

In recent days, one of the main factors that led to the rise in water level in the Yamuna river was the discharge of water from the Hathnikund barrage located in Haryana. According to the allegations levelled by AAP, despite the barrage leading to three canals, water was not released into the western canal since July 9. All the water was released towards Delhi only, even as the canal towards Uttar Pradesh was dry, the AAP said on Saturday.

AAP leader and Delhi PWD minister Atishi said, “Not a single drop of water was released into the canals going to UP and Haryana from there. Haryana will have to answer for this.”

Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times reported that the Hathnikund barrage regulates the flow of water and distributes the share of water from the main stream of the Yamuna — the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) in Haryana and Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC) in Uttar Pradesh.

However, the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department clarified about the controversial release of water into the Yamuna. When the flow of water goes below 100,000 (1 lakh) cusecs, the CWC water sharing formula is adopted. In such a scenario, 15,000 cusecs is discharged into the western canal and 2,000 cusecs into the eastern canal; the remaining flows into the main Yamuna river, according to the Hindustan Times.

However, if the flow of water exceeds 1 lakh cusecs, discharge of water into the western and eastern canals will be stopped. The entire water will then be discharged into the main Yamuna as two canals cannot withstand the heavy flow of water.

The breach of an embankment on Friday made matters worse, as floodwater flowed into Delhi through a drain; it inundated the Ring Road, Indraprastha Metro Station, IP Depot, ITO and Vikas Marg, and reached the entrance of the Supreme Court in central Delhi. This, when the Yamuna had begun showing signs of receding.

The Delhi Lt Governor’s office, in a midnight update, said that the Army had sealed the breached embankment to prevent floodwater from entering Delhi. Even as the L-G asked him not to indulge in a blame game, Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that there was a delay in the deployment of the NDRF for the purpose of repairing the regulator.

Meanwhile, targeting the Haryana government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it has no interest in the maintenance of the barrage. However, the BJP, in turn, accused Kejriwal and said he was evading responsibility and blaming other states in an attempt to deflect blame for the damage caused in the national capital.