NEW DELHI: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal launched a strong attack on the BJP-led Haryana government, holding them accountable for dangerously high ammonia levels in the Yamuna River, which supplies drinking water to Delhi. He accused the BJP of deliberately contaminating the river, endangering the health of millions of residents.
Kejriwal challenged BJP and Congress leaders to drink the same high-ammonia water being supplied to Delhi or issue a public apology. He also criticized Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for failing to act despite repeated appeals from Delhi CM Atishi. Dismissing BJP’s threats of legal action against him, Kejriwal remained defiant, stating he would not back down in his fight to protect Delhi’s people. He announced that AAP would send bottles of the contaminated water to BJP and Congress leaders, challenging them to drink it publicly and prove its safety.
Addressing the media, Kejriwal explained that Delhi receives raw water from Haryana via the Yamuna and from Uttar Pradesh via the Ganga. This raw water is treated before being supplied to households. However, he highlighted that for the past few days, the water coming from Haryana through the Yamuna had become highly toxic.
“The ammonia level in the water has risen significantly, reaching up to 7 PPM, which is extremely dangerous. Such high levels of ammonia can cause severe organ damage and may even be fatal,” he warned.
Kejriwal stated that AAP had no choice but to raise the issue publicly after ammonia levels in the Yamuna kept rising. Atishi repeatedly called Nayab Singh Saini, urging him to take action, but despite initial assurances, Saini failed to act. Eventually, he even stopped responding to Atishi’s calls.
Kejriwal explained the severity of the issue, warning that water treatment plants cannot process water with ammonia levels above 1 PPM. When ammonia levels exceed this threshold, plants must shut down, leading to a major water crisis in Delhi. If the contaminated water is supplied directly, it poses a severe health risk.
Additionally, he pointed out the deadly chemical reaction that could occur if high-ammonia water is treated with chlorine. “During water treatment, chlorine is added. When chlorine mixes with ammonia, it creates a highly toxic combination. If we had chlorinated this water and supplied it to homes, it could have resulted in a major disaster,” he said.
Kejriwal emphasized that AAP was not politicizing the issue but seeking a solution. “That is why Atishi kept calling Haryana officials. The most shocking part is that after we exposed the crisis, ammonia levels dropped from 7 PPM to 3 PPM. This suggests that they were responsible for increasing it in the first place and reduced it only after being exposed.” He questioned, “How did ammonia levels suddenly decrease when we raised our voices? Who was behind this?”
Reacting to the Haryana government’s response, Kejriwal said, “Instead of solving the issue, they are threatening legal action against us. They can do whatever they want! You are playing with people’s lives by sending toxic water to Delhi. High-ammonia water can cause irreversible harm, especially to young children. Yet, rather than addressing the problem, you are trying to silence us?”
He dismissed BJP’s threats, stating, “They say they want to put me in jail—go ahead! I have just returned from jail. They say they will file a case—do it! But as long as I am alive, I will not allow the people of Delhi to drink poisonous water. I stand with Delhi’s citizens.”
Kejriwal also mocked Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini’s recent PR stunt, where he attempted to drink water from Palla in front of the media but immediately spat it out. “The truth always prevails. Yesterday, Saini Ji wanted to prove the water was clean, but when he took a sip, he couldn’t swallow it. Either it smelled terrible, or it was too dirty. He almost vomited!”
Directing a question at Saini, Kejriwal asked, “If you can’t even take a sip of this water, how can you expect Delhi’s people to drink it?”
Announcing AAP’s next move, he stated, “Today, we have prepared bottles containing 7 PPM ammonia water mixed with chlorine. The BJP and Congress are jointly endangering the health of Delhi’s citizens. AAP MP Sanjay Singh and other leaders will deliver these bottles to BJP headquarters. We are sending them to Amit Shah, Virendra Sachdeva, Nayab Singh Saini, and Rahul Gandhi.”
He concluded with a bold challenge: “Let these four leaders drink this ammonia-mixed water in a press conference. If they do, we will accept that we were wrong. If they claim the water is safe, let them prove it by drinking it publicly.”