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Jal Board creating crisis in Delhi to defame AAP, says City’s water Minister

NewsJal Board creating crisis in Delhi to defame AAP, says City’s water Minister

Rajendra Pal Gautam, the newly inducted Water Minister of the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi, spoke exclusively to The Sunday Guardian on important issues such as the frequent water problems in the city, inflated bills and the cleaning of the Yamuna river. The Minister, who is also in charge of the Delhi Jal Board, spoke about his predecessor, Kapil Mishra, and his allegations on the tanker scam. Excerpts:

Q. Delhi has been facing acute shortages of water in several parts, the most affected being the outer Delhi region. Even the former minister Kapil Mishra was ousted citing his “under performance” in meeting the water needs of the city. When can we expect to have a solution to this issue?

A. We will come to a solution very soon. Whenever we are hearing about any water problem from any part of the city, we are trying to solve them. However, currently, the water level is fine in Delhi and even after this, if people are not getting water, it means somewhere someone is doing something wrong. This also means that there is a problem at the water distribution level and the problem is sometimes created intentionally. There are certain technicalities in the distribution of water and not many people know about this, as these are only known to people within the system. Therefore, the water problem and scarcity is likely created by people within the system to malign the AAP and this government. 

Q. So, are you saying that people from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) are involved in creating a “false” water crisis in the city?

A. See, junior level staff and officers in the DJB, who have been in the system for many years, know the technicalities and nitty-gritties of the system and if they wish, they can hamper the water distribution system. 

Q. Your predecessor Kapil Mishra has alleged of a huge “tanker scam” under the DJB during the Congress government, but nothing has been done on that till now. Will you take action and go to the ACB with the complaint of the scam?

A.  Kapil Mishra is just reading scripts given to him and his intention is never to clean the system, but to malign the reputation of the government and Arvind Kejriwal. When investigations are done, things will come out in the open. I will bring out the exact and accurate picture about the tanker scam before the people by all means very soon and I have asked my department to investigate into the matter. 

Q. Since you have taken charge of the department that was once handled by Kapil Mishra, will you call for an enquiry on any decisions taken by him or have you found any discrepancies in his decisions until now?

A. I am still going through the files and I have clear instructions from the Chief Minister that no corruption or mal-intention would be tolerated in this government. We will not spare anybody found to be corrupt.  

Q. Whenever there is a water problem or shortage in Delhi, the Delhi government has always blamed Haryana for not supplying adequate water to the city. How justified do you think this argument is? 

A. Delhi does not have its own source of water or water production. The water comes to Delhi through canals and rivers that pass through Haryana. According to the Supreme Court’s order, it was decided that Haryana has to give a certain amount of water to Delhi and if Haryana suddenly cuts off water supply to the city or reduces the flow of water, it is natural for the city to face water problems. There are some plants where a certain level of water is mandatory for them to function.

Q. What has been the progress on concretising the Munak canal through which the water is sent to Delhi, as it is perceived that due to the lack of concretization, a lot of water gets wasted during its transportation?

A. Plans are made by all governments and every year, several plans are made, but my idea is that the plans should be executed and they should not just remain on paper. I have just taken charge a few days ago and I am learning things slowly. As and when I am finding things out, I am trying to correct them. I will try and possibly solve all the problems. There are also people in the system who know about developments and yet do not act; I will make them work and take necessary action against any such official. 

Q. Inflated water bills have also been a reported problem in Delhi, despite the fact that the government had promised free water. How are you planning to address this issue? 

A. Yes, this has been a problem in Delhi. Actually, the problem is at the lower level, where the metre readers do not go for taking the reading or some corrupt officials indulge in unethical means to extort money. Soon after taking charge, I have asked for a report on this matter from the DJB. Let the report come, I had given them seven days’ time and within two days, the report will be on my table and we will see what is going wrong and take action. 

Q. There have also been many questions regarding the cleaning of the Yamuna. Your predecessor had vowed to take a dip in the Yamuna within a year of taking charge, but it’s been two years and nothing has changed. What will you do to clean the river?

A. To dream is not wrong, but to fulfil dreams, one must have honest means and intentions to realise them. Work is under progress for this project, but unfortunately, the results have not shown yet. We have some experts with us from the IITs and specialised teams would be working on this to make Yamuna a clean river.

Q. By when can we expect to at least see some positive results on the cleaning of the Yamuna?

A. I cannot give an exact time frame at this moment. I have just taken charge and will be studying this project closely and only after that can I give some timeframe to you.

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