BJP says govt responsible for poor sewer lines, AAP hits back

Sachdeva accuses AAP of stalling funds for sewer maintenance; AAP cites financial crisis created by BJP-backed officials

A bus moves through a waterlogged road as vehicles get stuck in a traffic jam after heavy rainfall, in New Delhi, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. PTI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP on Friday alleged that waterlogging in the city during the ongoing monsoon is due to the ruling AAP as it has “stalled the release of funds” for the maintenance of sewer lines.

The BJP’s Delhi president, Virendra Sachdeva, said former minister Satyendar Jain on June 5, 2020, and cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on July 21, 2023, issued orders of no official would issue work orders for even Rs 100 without approval from the departmental minister.

The two leaders were Water Ministers at that time.

“This led to a complete breakdown in maintenance services of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in the last one year and no maintenance work was carried out, causing Delhi to be submerged,” Sachdeva alleged. He asked Bharadwaj, the current health minister, to take responsibility and resign on moral grounds.

“Kirari, Sangam Vihar and Burari are permanently waterlogged. Even upscale areas such as Rohini, Rajendra Nagar, Patel Nagar and Kamla Nagar are severely affected. The sewer barrel has collapsed near the Old Delhi railway station, yet water board officials are unable to issue any orders for repairs or major cleaning work,” he claimed. Water Minister Atishi, who said on Thursday that Delhi had been turned into a “living hell” because of an “artificial financial crisis” created in the DJB, cancelled these orders after officers explained the situation to her, Sachdeva claimed.

Atishi has been busy “blaming” officials instead of taking action. She accused everyone -- from the lieutenant governor to the chief secretary and the DJB’s executive engineers -- of not doing work at the behest of BJP leaders, Sachdeva said.

‘Creating hurdles’

Hitting back, AAP claimed that the sewerage problem stemmed from an “artificially-created financial crisis” in the DJB, allegedly by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and “BJP-controlled officers”.

The Delhi government allocated Rs 7,195 crore for the DJB in the budget for this fiscal year, but the party claimed that it remains starved of funds due to the endless shuttling of files between the urban development and finance departments.

No immediate reaction was available from the Lieutenant Governor’s Office over the AAP’s claim.