The Aam Aadmi Party’s white paper on water promises to make access to clean drinking water a right of the Delhiites. The white paper aims at amending the Delhi Jal Board Act to implement it.
Releasing the document on Tuesday, the party announced a slew of measures to meet the water demand of the Capital. “The AAP will provide water as a right. We also believe that the right to food should include the right to water. To deal with the acute water crisis prevailing in Delhi, the AAP has outlined an actionable blueprint of providing clean and regular supply of water to all Delhi citizens,” said a statement.
On the supply side, the party said it would make a time-bound plan of action for covering all residents of the Capital with piped water and sewage network in all parts irrespective of their legal status. “There will be no discrimination between planned/non-planned; authorised/unauthorised; and regularised/non-regularised. Nor will we pick and choose between rural and urban areas,” the statement said .
The party also claimed that it would take measures to ensure that Delhi gets extra raw water from Haryana in the Munak canal. For the reduced supply, the AAP blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party in Haryana, and at the Centre.
The AAP plans to introduce water accounting and auditing besides setting up water quality monitoring stations working round the clock.
“To conserve and augment the groundwater reserves, rainwater harvesting and harnessing will be made compulsory. Such families shall be called water-friendly families. The government shall provide certain incentives to such families in their water bill,” said the statement.
This is the second white paper released by the AAP after the one on electricity. The party has challenged the BJP to come up with their blueprint on both issues.
Plans to introduce water accounting
and auditing besides setting up water quality monitoring stations
