Delhi local government minister Atishi Singh is on an indefinite hunger strike for the fourth day demanding more drinking water for India capital, which is affected by a water crisis amid record heat in recent weeks, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
"There are 2.8 million people in the city who yearn for just a drop of water," Singh said today.
Millions of Indians are affected by water shortages every summer when consumption in farms, offices and homes increases. However, this year's prolonged heat wave has worsened the situation in a number of regions, including the national territory of Delhi and the southern technology hub of Bengaluru.
Over 70% of Delhi's water supply is provided by the Yamuna River, which is the longest and full-flowing tributary of the sacred Ganges River. Yamuna rises from the southern slopes of the central part of the Himalayas and passes through the territory of the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, as well as through the capital city of Delhi.
Delhi is governed by the opposition "Common Man Party" (Aam Admi), and the local governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh belong to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Singh blames the neighboring agricultural state of Haryana for using up much of the river's water. However, the Haryana authorities claim that the reason for the water shortage is Delhi's mismanagement.
According to experts, water allocation contracts should be reviewed at the federal level, as they were concluded decades ago and no longer correspond to the demographic reality and the large population growth.