Delhi police use water cannon to disperse BJP workers protesting against water crisis

New Delhi, June 22 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Saturday used a water cannon to disperse BJP workers demonstrating against the AAP government over water shortage in the the national capital.

Led by the BJP's former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, the protesters gathered outside a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in Okhla and raised slogans against the AAP government. The police dispersed them with a water cannon after they refused to move.

Amid a punishing heat wave battering the city, Delhi is facing a severe water shortage while the BJP and AAP continue to blame each other for the crisis.

Addressing the protesters, Bidhuri alleged that the DJB, which had profits of Rs 600 crore, is now facing losses of Rs 60,000 crore due to corruption.

He later handed over a memorandum to a DJB engineer over an acute shortage of water in the Tughlaqabad assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Atishi's indefinite hunger strike for release of the city's "rightful share" of water share in the Yamuna by Haryana entered its second day on Saturday.

Atishi launched her hunger strike, accusing the BJP government in Haryana of stopping the release of 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Delhi and said it has affected 28 lakh people in the city.