Image from 2009 linked with recent water crisis in Delhi

Several areas in Delhi have been experiencing a shortage of water. The Delhi Jal Board released a press note saying that due to an increase in Ammonia pollution and high algae in the Yamuna river, the water production has been curtained from Water Treatment Plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla. BJP leader and former Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel shared a photo of a large crowd gathered around a water tanker. “Do something Kejriwal,” he wrote, addressing the Chief Minister.

दिल्ली में पानी का हॉल

कुछ करो भैया केजरीवाल pic.twitter.com/wgXNpVyFeF

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) June 19, 2021

Surat BJP MLA Harsh Sanghavi and BJP Gujarat member Tarun J. Barot also shared the image. It is viral on Twitter.

ये हाल कोनसे राज्य का है? pic.twitter.com/3lFqb2Lw2y

— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) June 20, 2021

BJP Gujarat IT cell member Nikhil Patel shared the same photo with a Gujarati caption.

દિલ્હીમાં પાણી માટે, આ છે લોકો નો હાલ,બોલો જોઇએ છે ગુજરાતમાં કેજરીવાલ?? pic.twitter.com/ynlwpPQe51

— Nikhil Patel (@iNikhilVpatel) June 20, 2021

Several Facebook users have posted the image.

Photo from 2009

A simple reverse image search performed on Google led us to the website of Alamy, a British stock photography agency. According to Alamy, the photo was taken on June 30, 2009, in Sanjay Colony, New Delhi and has been credited to ‘Reuters/ Adnan Abidi’. We located the picture on Reuters. It was shot during the tenure of Congress leader Sheila Dikshit. AAP was found three years later in 2012.

Both the Delhi Jal Board and Aam Aadmi Party’s official Twitter handle replied to Vijay Goel’s tweet dismissing the claim. He is yet to take down the erroneous post.

⚠️Fake News ⚠️

The image posted is from the year 2009. Entire DJB team has worked very hard even during the raging pandemic.

Link to the original image clicked on June 30 2009 :- https://t.co/jkzoW52ZTH

— Delhi Jal Board (@DelhiJalBoard) June 20, 2021

Alt News spoke with photojournalist Adnan Abidi who confirmed that the photograph was indeed taken by him in 2009. Hence, prominent BJP members linked an image from 2009 to the recent water crisis in Delhi. However, it is noteworthy that the struggle for water in Sanjay Colony has been prevalent for more than 30 years. Residents are still facing water shortage. Recently, LG Anil Baijal asked for a detailed report from the Delhi Jal Board on the water crisis in the national capital.