New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Devender Yadav on Thursday accused the Rekha Gupta government of misleading the people with its announcement of providing 24-hour water supply to 52 lakh residents, calling it a “publicity stunt” that overlooks critical systemic failures.
Yadav was reacting to the government’s sanctioning of 94 water and sewer projects worth Rs 7,212 crore, which includes laying 2,741 km of new pipelines at a cost of Rs. 6,121 crore. He contended that the plan benefits only a “miniscule percent” of Delhi’s 3 crore population while failing to address the city’s aged and leaking water infrastructure.
“The government is talking about new pipelines, while 5,200 km of pipelines are 30 years old and 2,700 km are 20 years old,” Yadav said. He cited Delhi Jal Board data indicating that 50 per cent of the old pipelines are damaged due to internal ruptures, leading to significant water wastage through leaks. “Why has the government not made any announcement about fixing this?” he asked.
The Congress leader expressed concern over water quality and access, stating that 60 per cent of the population receives contaminated water and 30-40 per cent, including the poor, lack access to clean potable water. He alleged the water reaching homes is contaminated with metals like uranium, nitrate, and fluoride.
Yadav also highlighted a supply-demand gap, noting Delhi’s current availability of 1005 million gallons per day (MGD) against a requirement of 1290 MGD. He criticized the pace of augmenting water capacity over the past decade.
While the government plans to construct 35 new underground reservoirs, Yadav urged for a parallel plan to provide piped water to underserved poor communities and to revive defunct ponds and lakes. He called for large-scale replacement of old pipelines, agreements with neighbouring states for more water, and a special campaign to ensure water quality.
“The Delhi Jal Board has completely failed,” Yadav said, asserting that providing clean water is the responsibility of the state government. The government has not yet issued a formal response to these allegations.
