New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Friday hit out at the previous AAP government for inaction over checking loss of potable water in Delhi Jal Board’s network, claiming that wastage increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent during its 11-year rule.
Replying to a matter related to water shortage in the Delhi Assembly, Parvesh Sahib Singh said, “Across the world, governments strive to plug leakages and reduce water losses in their pipe network, but under the AAP government, the loss in Delhi increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent in 11 years.”
Assuring MLAs of doing his best to sort out issues related to water supply in all 70 Assembly constituencies, Parvesh Sahib Singh said, “The previous government kept blaming Haryana for reducing supply and causing water crisis in Delhi, but never cared to rectify its own network to reduce leakage.”
He said on February 20, the BJP government was formed, and the Asian Development Bank approached us within one week to restart the stalled projects.
Parvesh Sahib Singh also took a dig at former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for spreading rumours that the Haryana government had poisoned water flowing into the government.
“We don’t spread lies and focus only on working for all Delhiites regardless of their political allegiance. We don’t spread lies that poisoned water from Haryana would flow into the homes of only AAP supporters,” he said.
The Minister said that in the past five months, the government has laid 15 km of new water supply lines in areas where there was no provision at all.
As much as 58 km of water supply line, which was damaged, was replaced during the last five months, he said, replying to concerns raised by AAP MLA from Rohtas Nagar Jitender Mahajan.
Parvesh Sahib Singh said the DJB has set up an enforcement team to act against illegal borewells and those purchasing water from tankers.
“We are also planning to introduce a policy for the regularisation of borewells to check underground water extraction,” he said.
–IANS
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