W DELHI: With the Jat unrest in Haryana taking a toll on the water supply in Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that there is no water left in the national capital and that the crisis is expected to last for at least two days.

"Due to the agitation in Haryana, the water that comes to Delhi from the Munak canal has been stopped since the past two days and there has been no water supply since, resulting in a severe water crisis. We are talking to the Central Home Ministry and the Haryana Ministry to try and open to canal. I spoke to Rajnath Singh yesterday, appealing to deploy Army troops to help in restoring water supply," Kejriwal told the media here after an emergency meeting at his residence.

Asserting that Delhi needs to gear up to battle the severe water crisis, he added that barring the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, defence installations, hospitals and the fire brigade, the remaining water will be rationed equally across Delhi.

"Water is almost over in Delhi and I appeal to everyone to conserve water as much as they can, as they will have to survive with that for at least two days. Even if the water supply is resumed from the canal, the water treatment plants will take at least 24 hours to activate," Kejriwal said.

The chief minister also said that in light of the water crisis, all schools have been closed on Monday and all exams that have been scheduled for tomorrow have also been postponed.

"Hopefully a solution emerges soon. There is hardly any water left and many water treatment plants have been closed. The remaining water from the reservoirs will be transported to different areas through tankers," he added.

Kejriwal had earlier called for equal responsibility to be shared between the public and VIPs amid the state of a water crisis in the national capital.

"Del facing unprecedented water crisis. Soon, water will have to be rationed. Shudn't scarcity be equally shared betn public n VIPs?" Kejriwal tweeted early on Sunday.

The morning water supply on Sunday will be available at low pressure as only 60% of water is available for supply.

The supply sources of water feeding the seven treatment plants have completely dried up and as a result all these plants had to be shut down.

The areas affected due to the closure of plants are West Delhi, North-West, Central, South and part of North Delhi. "Against the total production of 820 Million Gallons per day (MGD) of potable water, only 240 MGD is being produced, because of the disruption of the supply source from Haryana. DJB's tanker fleet has been fully redirected to the water deficient areas. The situation at Wazirabad is being constantly monitored. In this emergent situation, the people of Delhi are requested to use water with the utmost care," a statement by the Delhi Jal Board said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre has advised the Haryana government to deal with the violence in the state firmly and offered all assistance to maintain law and order even as BJP said it stood for the Jat quota and asked agitators to return to the negotiating table.

Concerned over the Jat stir affecting parts of western UP as well, home minister Rajnanth Singh met prominent BJP members from the community even as party sources indicated that the agitationists will not be allowed to coerce the state government into conceding the quota demand in a manner that is not constitutionally valid.

With deployment of paramilitary and Army columns meant to signal the state's intent to control violence, the Centre conveyed the need to enforce law and order during a video conference between Cabinet secretary P K Sinha, Haryana chief secretary D S Dhesi and DGP Yashpal Singhal. Home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was also present.

At the political level, the agitation poses fresh trouble for the BJP regime in Haryana as it comes ahead of its plans to stage a "happening Haryana" event to attract investment. Though the stir seems to be triggered by a sense of loss of privilege among Jats, the violence is bad publicity as business activities have been significantly affected. BJP members blamed the previous Congress government for raising expectations through a flawed Jat quota and said the current offer to bring the community under an economic criteria was more viable. However, Jat representatives have rejected the offer and are demanding inclusion under the OBC category.

The government is reluctant to do so as the community does not meet the socially backward criteria. Asserting that they support the Jat quota, BJP members are arguing that the offer to implement this under economically backward status is more likely to pass the legal test as the measure is bound to be taken to court by quota opponents or others seeking similar benefits.

The Jat agitation is seen to be driven, at least in part, by a sense of disempowerment as the chief minister of the state has usually been from the community over the past decades. BJP's decision to make M L Khattar, a Punjabi, the CM has led to some resentment even though the CM has been at pains to project himself as asupporter of Jat quota.