Jat agitation: Schools remain shut as Delhi taps go dry

Chandigarh/New Delhi: The Delhi government has ordered closure of schools and colleges on Monday as the state faces severe water crisis triggered by the ongoing Jat quota agitation in Haryana.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Sunday said, “the capital was facing a very serious water crisis because of the Jat protests in Haryana and water was to be strictly rationed in the city.”

The Munak canal in Haryana, which supplies water to many parts of Delhi, was shut down after it was vandalised by a section of Jats demanding quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

Kejriwal also spoke to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the need to restore water supply to Delhi at the earliest.

He said water would be supplied through tankers to areas in Delhi hit by scarcity.

Because of the water crisis, all schools in the national capital would be shut on Monday, he added.

Security forces had to face a tough time and fire tear-gas shells and resort to mild lathi charge to remove Jat protesters from the Munak canal in Haryana from where the water supply to Delhi was disrupted by the agitators on Saturday.

Sources said army and paramilitary personnel reached the place where the water supply equipment and machines were damaged by the protesters.

"The Haryana government is giving top priority to restore water supply to Delhi," Haryana Police chief YP Singhal said on Sunday.

He said paramilitary forces and irrigation department officials have reached the place where the water supply to the national capital was disrupted by the Jat agitators on Saturday and efforts were being made to restore the supply.