Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Wednesday wrote to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena demanding an inquiry into alleged collusion by senior officers with the tanker mafia, as the capital grapples with a water crisis in this heat.

She also requested the LG to deploy an ACP-level police officer to patrol the stretch of Munak Canal in Delhi to ensure that no illegal water filling activity happens there.

"There is a need for an enquiry into potentially collusion by senior officers in the Delhi government with the tanker mafia because it seems that there has been deliberate and substantial reduction of the tankers deployed by the Delhi Jal Board in the last one year," she claimed.

Citing numbers, Atishi said that in January last year, 1,179 tankers were deployed by the Delhi Jal Board and this number was 1,203 in June the same year.

"However, this number was reduced to 888 in January 2024 without any approval from me. In fact, without any consultation with me. I repeatedly kept flagging the issue of grievances regarding water tanker shortage and asking the CEO DJB to increase the number of tankers, but he did not do so," she alleged.

The minister said that she directed the chief secretary on March 14, April 3 and April 12 to increase the number of water tankers to the same number as deployed in the previous years, but he did not do so.

"This reduction of water tankers deployed by the DJB is what has led to the possible proliferation of private tanker mafia, who are illegally selling water. If the senior officers of the Delhi government have not increased the number of water tankers deployed in the DJB despite the instructions of the minister in-charge, there is a serious concern regarding their collusion with the tanker mafia," she alleged.

Atishi said when a severe water crisis started and she threatened to "investigate this collusion in an open meeting", were the number of tankers increased.

"Even now the number of water tankers deployed by the DJB is lesser than June 2023, while there are much more severe heat wave conditions and a far greater shortage of water. Common sense says that the number of water tankers deployed by the DJB should have been more in this heat wave than in the previous years," the minister said.

"However, the fact that this is not the case leads one to believe that there is collusion between the senior officers of the Delhi government and the tanker mafia. Therefore, an enquiry committee should be set up to look into collusion of the chief secretary and CEO DJB with the tanker mafia. Pending enquiry both officers may be suspended so as to not influence the proceedings," she added.

Atishi recalled the June 10 meeting with the LG and said that he had shown some photographs of private tankers filling water from the Delhi stretch of the CLC (carrier line channel) and DSB (Delhi sub-branch), sub-branches of the Munak Canal.

"Since Delhi cannot afford any loss of water at a time of such acute heat wave and water crisis, I would like to request the Hon ble LG to depute an ACP level police officer to patrol the Delhi stretch of the Munak Canal so that no private tankers can illegally fill water from there," she said.

On Tuesday, Atishi had accused Saxena of blaming the AAP government for the ill maintenance of water canals and theft of water supply by illegal tankers.

"LG sahab has been exposed. He said the Munak canal is not maintained properly. The maintenance, repair, and security of the canal comes under the Haryana Irrigation Department. He also said water is being stolen from the canal. If all this is happening why doesn't he speak to Haryana CM? He only has one job, to blame the AAP government for everything," Atishi said.

"The Delhi Police reports to LG, why doesn't he get those stealing water arrested? This shows everything is happening with his blessings," she alleged.

The Raj Niwas officials said Atishi has spoken about action not being taken by the LG on tanker mafia.

"Despite knowing that a large scale water mafia is operational in Delhi, extorting money from the poorest of the poor, the Delhi Jal Board under the AAP never thought it proper to even complain to the police about the same, leave apart filing an FIR, that would have automatically ensured police action," said a Raj Niwas official.

"They never came to the LG asking for action to be taken. They of course could not have because the water mafia in Delhi operates in connivance with the Aam Aadmi Party under direct patronage and blessings of its leaders," the official added.

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