New Delhi:

After a woman was killed in northeast Delhi’s Farsh Bazar area during a quarrel with her neighbors over taking water from a public tap, Delhi Minister Atishi wrote to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requesting him to suspend the Delhi Jal Board chief executive.

In the note, Atishi, who is also the water minister, urged Mr Saxena to “conduct an independent inquiry into the omissions and commissions of the chief secretary and officials of the finance department, urban development department and DJB”.

She claimed their actions had “resulted in DJB being short of funds for the 2023-24 financial year” and therefore “unable to carry out essential work such as installation drilling”.

“For over a year now…the Chief Minister has given clear instructions and a roadmap to improve Delhi’s water supply.

“In the last six months, the undersigned has issued instructions (attached) to the CEO and Principal Secretary of JAL Board, Delhi on several occasions to ensure that water supply is increased so that there is no shortage of water come summer.

“However, despite repeated instructions, Delhi has taken no action to prevent this water crisis,” she claimed.

Delhi police on Sunday arrested a 15-year-old girl for allegedly stabbing her 34-year-old neighbor to death over a dispute over the filling of a public tap, officials said.

“In view of the shocking incident of violence in Farsh Bazar in which a woman died due to lack of water, Hon’ble LG is requested to immediately suspend the CEO of Delhi Jal Board within 24 hours as this A criminal negligence was on his watch.

“Disciplinary action will be taken against all officials of DJB and other departments of GNCTD responsible for not increasing water supply for summer 2024,” Atishi said.

She claimed that the actions and inactions of Delhi government officials led to the loss of life in Delhi.

“The district magistrates responsible for services and vigilance must take swift and strong action to send a message to all officials that such negligence will not be tolerated. The people of Delhi will expect immediate action from the magistrates,” she said.

She claimed that in the past few weeks, we have repeatedly reminded the DJB CEO and principal secretary to ensure increased water supply through tube wells and water tankers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)