'Responsibility Dispute Over Water Crisis... Delhi State Minister in India Begins Indefinite Hunger Strike'

Indian Ministry of Health: "143 Deaths Due to Heatwave This Summer"
Actual Death Toll Expected to Be Much Higher

According to local media reports on the 22nd (local time), the Water Resources Minister of the Delhi state government, which governs India's capital New Delhi, has begun an indefinite hunger strike, claiming that neighboring states have not released the promised amount of water, causing a drinking water shortage for several weeks.

According to reports, Atishi Marlena Singh, Delhi's Public Works Department Minister, started a protest hunger strike yesterday afternoon. Minister Atishi stated, "The Delhi region, which lacks its own drinking water source, uses water released from neighboring Haryana and Himachal Pradesh states into the Yamuna River and other sources for drinking water, but these states are not releasing the promised amount of water."

Citizens of New Delhi trying to receive drinking water from a water tanker [Image source=Yonhap News]

He added, "I have used all means, including writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the federal government for help, but it was in vain," and "I will only drink water and eat no food until the 28 million citizens quench their thirst."

As the drinking water shortage in the Delhi area worsened due to a month-long heatwave since mid-last month, the state government took measures to reduce the supply of drinking water to residents. Many areas in Delhi lack proper water facilities, so residents in those areas line up to receive drinking water supplied by authorities via water tanks. Local TV media broadcast scenes of some citizens climbing on top of water tanks in desperation to obtain drinking water.

Regarding Minister Atishi's claims, the Haryana state government rebutted, stating that they are supplying sufficient water to Delhi. Additionally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the federal government and the Haryana state government, claimed that Atishi, a member of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, started the hunger strike to cover up her incompetence.

Due to the ongoing heatwave centered in northern and eastern India, the Ministry of Health of India announced yesterday that from March 1 to the 20th of this year, the number of deaths and patients from heatstroke nationwide were 143 and 41,789 respectively. The daily The Times of India reported that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has not yet received the latest heatstroke death figures from all states and health facilities nationwide, so the actual number of deaths is expected to be much higher.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.