With elections just around the corner, political parties have started with aggressive campaigning for themselves. If voted to power in the forthcoming municipal elections in Chandigarh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vowed on Monday to deliver 20,000 litres of free water to each family every month. They also promised to ensure a 24/7 supply without imposing any additional taxes on inhabitants.
Prem Garg, the party’s city chairman, elaborated on the promise, saying that if AAP comes to power, the MC would not charge anything for the first 20,000 litres per month for every family in the city. “Approximately 45 per cent of water is wasted”, Garg said when asked how the party will accomplish it at a time when the MC is losing around 96 crores in water delivery losses. “This water will be saved, and unlawful water connections outside the Lal Dora will be rectified”.
Keeping the poll pot boiling, the BJP state unit has called an election strategy meeting on Thursday
The city is receiving a supply of 114 MGD of water, Chandigarh in-charge Jarnail Singh said during a press conference. He added that the BJP claims that per-head water use is 245 litres, which is excessive. The average water usage in India is 135 litres per person. The city still has excess water if we anticipate a consumption of 245 litres per person.
Leaders of the AAP questioned the BJP, stating that if the city had more water than it needed, why was the government charging three times the rate and where did the excess water go? It is a source of worry, and the agency should initiate an investigation, they added. Party leaders said that in only 25 days, Chandigarh has recruited one lakh, new members, to the party, thanks to a membership drive led by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
