Yamunanagar: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been caught up in a controversy over use of around a thousand litres of water to prepare a helipad, at a time when the state faced water shortage
Around a thousand litres of water were reportedly used in preparing a helipad for Khattar's chopper in Yamunanagar on Wednesday.
However, Deputy Commissioner Yamunanagar, S S Phulia, said there was no "wastage of water, as was being potrayed by a section of media."
"There is no wastage of water in preparing the helipad. Only that much water was used as was required for smooth landing of the chopper," Phulia said.
Opposition Congress said when several districts across the country were facing a drought-like situation and there was acute shortage of water at many places in Haryana, "wasting" huge amount of water to prepare helipads could be avoided.
"Water must not be wasted in circumstances like this when nationwide where more than 250 districts across the county which are facing drought and when Haryana also does not have enough water," Haryana Congress President, Ashok Tanwar said
"I met Deputy Commissioner at Sirsa today, there are several places in Sirsa district on borders of Rajasthan where we are not getting clean water. If you multiply CM Khattar's trips to various places, see how much water would be wasted for preparing these strips," Tanwar said.
Notably, the visit of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to Lalitpur on Tuesday had also got mired in controversy as thousands of litres of water were used to ensure a dust-free makeshift helipad at a time when the area is witnessing drought.
Earlier, a similar controversy involving Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse had erupted when 10,000 litres of water were used to prepare a helipad for his visit to drought-hit Latur district.
This is not the first instance of water wastage by a political figure amid the water crisis as 10,000 litres of water was reportedly used for a helipad for Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh in Bhiwandi.
Thousands of litres of water was also wasted in the preparation of a helipad which Maharashtra Minister Eknath Khadse's helicopter needed to land on.
Water contained in two large tankers was used on a stretch of land through which Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah and his convoy were supposed to pass.
