Poll body wades into Yamuna water war

Ammonia levels in the Yamuna became a major campaign issue in the Delhi assembly elections on Tuesday after the Election Commission of India wrote to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asking for proof behind his allegation that Haryana was poisoning the river even as the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party traded allegations over the issue.

- Paras Singh and Alok KN Mishra

allegations before making statements. It is presumed that Delhi government must have officially taken up such grave issue of public health with Haryana government," the letter said, while citing various judicial orders and legal provisions that can lead to up to three years imprisonment for mischievous statements against national integration and public harmony. At the time of going to print, the AAP had not issued a comment on the matter.

Ammonia levels or ammoniacal nitrogen levels are measured by DJB upstream of Wazirabad. It is indicative of the pollutant load due to untreated sewage and industrial waste. DJB uses chlorination process to treat ammonia. The frequency of such ammonia spike episodes increases as the flow in river reduces.

Delegations of all three political parties and their top leaders landed at ECI demanding strict action in the matter. The BJP delegation led by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which also included Union minister Bhupender Yadav and Saini, demanded that Kejriwal should be banned from further campaigning in the Delhi assembly election over his statement.

"We came to protest and submit a petition to the election commission on the very unfair, irresponsible and violative of the election code of conduct statement made by former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal...The statements he made has brought fear in the minds of the public in Delhi. think of water in Delhi, people get a sense of fear that there is poison in it.This has very serious implications to the way in which elections are conducted in this country...How could a former chief minister accuse another chief minister of an act which is somewhere relatable to genocide?" Sitharaman said.