Kejriwal responds to ECI with data about pollution of Yamuna
What's the story
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has replied to Election Commission's demand of evidence to back his claims that Haryana is polluting the Yamuna River.
In a 14-page letter, Kejriwal referred to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) data, which showed high levels of ammonia in the river that makes purification difficult.
"Delhi, as a lower riparian state, depends on raw water supply from Haryana....The raw water received from Haryana recently is highly contaminated and extremely poisonous for human health," he wrote.
Accusation details
Kejriwal accuses BJP of contaminating Delhi's water supply
Earlier, Kejriwal had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "mixing poison" in Delhi's water supply to create chaos before the assembly election.
He had claimed it was due to the vigilance of DJB engineers that this contaminated water was prevented from entering the city.
His accusations were challenged by both BJP and Congress, with Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini even drinking Yamuna water publicly to refute them.
Controversy escalates
Kejriwal defends remarks, Haryana officials deny accusations
Defending his remarks, Kejriwal said he was addressing a "legitimate civic concern" of water quality.
He said the remarks were made "in the contest of an urgent...alarming public health crisis concerning the deteriorating quality of drinking water."
He said excessive ammonia levels are harmful to health and his statements are protected under freedom of speech.
The AAP leader cited the health risks caused by excessive amounts of ammonia in water, such as liver and renal disease, cognitive impairment, and encephalopathy.
Promises scrutinized
Kejriwal's unfulfilled promises on Yamuna water quality
Referring to a letter issued by CEO of Delhi Jal Board on January 27, he said, "The letter itself admits that the levels of ammonia in the water coming to Delhi from Haryana has increased manifold....it has reached to the level of 6.5-7 ppm."
He cited a section of the letter that stated that "ammonia increases in the river Yamuna due to mixing of some untreated sewage or industrial waste at the upstream of Wazirabad Barrage."