Water crisis looms in Delhi as funds not released to DJB: Atishi

Delhi Water Minister Atishi claimed on Tuesday that the city was staring at a ‘man-made water crisis’ due to the stoppage of funds to the Delhi Jal Board by the finance department. She demanded Lt Governor V K Saxena’s immediate intervention in the matter.
According to government sources, the minister alleged in her letter to the L-G that Finance Secretary Ashish C Verma, on the chief secretary’s advice, has stopped all funds of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) since August. She demanded that appropriate action be taken against Verma.
However, sources in the planning department said that Rs 1,598 crore was released to the DJB in June. More funds will be released “based on evidence of the progress of works and geotagging for ensuring that public funds are not being misappropriated”, a source said.
According to sources in the finance department, the government does not give funds to the DJB for salaries or repairs and maintenance.
“These are to be met from the DJB’s own revenues. Also, running water and sewage treatment plants is the DJB’s responsibility. So it is wrong to say that water supply or sewage treatment will stop,” a source claimed.
The Delhi government provides loans and grants only for new works and funds are to be released based on the progress on the ground, the sources added.