New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) The AAP and the ruling BJP in Delhi on Sunday locked horns over the deployment of GPS-enabled water tankers in the city, with the opposition party accusing the government of rebranding an old initiative for “headline politics”.

The BJP, however, dismissed the claims as “hilarious” and asked why the previous AAP government could not curb the black-marketing of water supplied through tankers if the tracking system was already in place.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday flagged off 1,111 tankers equipped with GPS devices to boost water supply in the city during the summer. These devices will enable tracking of the tankers’ location on an IT dashboard from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) headquarters.

Addressing a press conference, the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged the BJP government was “misleading Delhiites” by claiming to have introduced GPS-enabled tankers, a feature that has existed since 2015.

“When I was the DJB vice-chairman in 2022, the GPS tracking system was already in place and functional,” he said, citing a 2015 news report as evidence.

He accused CM Gupta of repainting old tankers to project them as a new initiative and criticised the administration of engaging in “headline politics” and wasteful spending for publicity.

The former Delhi minister also alleged that the figure of 1,111 GPS-enabled water tankers announced by the BJP government was inflated. The number of tankers required varies across constituencies and is revised regularly, he said.

“The BJP-led government has completed 60 days in office but has no achievement to showcase. Redirecting tankers for a political event amid Delhi’s water crisis is not governance. It’s a joke,” Bharadwaj said.

Reacting to the allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the deployment of tankers was necessary due to the onset of summer while asserting that the government was working to ensure piped water supply to all households.

The GPS-enabled tankers, launched by the chief minister, will help in supplying water to far-flung areas, tackle corruption and water theft, he said.

He also dismissed Bharadwaj’s claims as “hilarious”, questioning why the previous AAP government could not curb black-marketing of water supplied through tankers if the tracking system was already in place.

“Bharadwaj is acting as a mere spokesperson… and is incapable of raising real issues concerning Delhi,” Sachdeva added. PTI MHS NSD NSD