BJP Slams AAP Over Misinformation on CM Rekha Gupta's Water Remarks

The BJP slammed Aam Aadmi Party leaders for spreading "lies" about Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s remarks on Delhi's water shortage, according to the Press Trust of India. Delhi government officials told PTI on Sunday that the AAP is engaging in "misinformation" over the capital's water scarcity and the reasons for its resource depletion.

AAP leaders, including Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj, targeted Gupta after she said evaporation and leakages contribute to the city's summer water loss. The BJP rejected these attacks, saying Gupta has coordinated with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to secure additional water.

The dispute highlights ongoing political friction over how the city manages its essential resources during peak summer months. The controversy will likely continue as officials debate competing interpretations of Gupta's public statements and scientific data regarding water distribution.

BJP Defends Chief Minister

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on X to allege the AAP is "lying," according to PTI. Bhandari shared a video of Gupta explaining the evaporation and leakages, while also mentioning her contact with Saini for more Yamuna water.

The BJP said that AAP leaders circulated a shortened version of Gupta's speech to unfairly target her, PTI reported. Bhandari used social media to clarify the chief minister's proactive measures.

"AAP claiming: 'Delhi is facing a water crisis because the water supplied to residents evaporates before it reaches them, says CM Rekha Gupta,'" Bhandari wrote on X, according to PTI.

"REAL FACT: The truth is that, keeping Delhi's water requirements in mind, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ji took the initiative and coordinated with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to secure additional water supply for the people of Delhi," Bhandari added in his post, as reported by PTI. 

Delhi Water Crisis Context

Delhi remains a net deficient state for water and relies heavily on neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to meet its daily needs. The city's water supply faces tremendous strain every summer as river water levels drop significantly.

Defending Gupta's statement, Delhi government officials cited a 2019 study detailing resource depletion, PTI reported. The study says evaporation and other losses from open canals are estimated at 30 per cent.

The research evaluated the city's groundwater recharge potential. Researchers calculated these estimates using a rounded-off average of the past 50 years of rainfall and pan evaporation data.