New Delhi, Jul 14 (IANS): As Delhi battles flood and amid the blame game over water flow from the Hathnikund barrage increasing the Yamuna level, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said one lakh cusecs of water was released into the Yamuna river on the first day, but the next day it suddenly increased to 3.70 lakh cusecs.

"As far as the issue of the release of water is concerned, we have informed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that Hathnikund is a barrage and not a dam," Khattar told the media here.

"Water flow is controlled in dams, however in barrage the water can only be regulated in a small quantity. The capacity of the barrage is one lakh cusecs and it is difficult to stop the water above this level," he clarified.

He said the excessive flow of water has also adversely affected Yamunanagar, Karnal, etc., and now the same flow is entering Delhi.

Saying the water level of some rivers is decreasing, the Chief Minister said similarly the water level in other rivers has also decreased because of which the increased water levels in Karnal and Kurukshetra are gradually declining.

However, the flow of water is high in Sonipat, Delhi, Faridabad and Palwal and there is a possibility that the level will reduce in the coming 48 hours, said Khattar.

Taking a jibe at the Delhi Chief Minister, Khattar said: "It seems that Haryana has become a nightmare for Kejriwal whenever Delhi is in trouble. Be it pollution issue, water issue or any other, when Arvind Kejriwal fails to find any solution, he starts playing the blame game."

"Doing politics even on natural calamities is totally unethical," said Khattar.

Responding to a question regarding the statement of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he said that one should refrain from doing politics on natural calamities.