NEW DELHI: Northwest Delhi’s Kirari has earned a dubious reputation for regular waterlogging during the monsoon season. Despite authorities making multiple promises to address the issue, the situation has scarcely improved over the years.
Originally a village settled by the Jat kings of Bharatpur State, Kirari saw waves of immigration from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from the 90s onwards. The resulting increase in population density led to land encroachments which affected rainwater seepage in the area. As a result, the low-lying areas in the locality are usually filled with water for several months during the monsoon. In addition, the lack of a proper sewer system also leaves sewage stagnating on the roads.
In March 2021, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated a Rs 480 crore sewer project in Kirari under which 423 km of sewage line will be laid. The project, which will take four years to be completed, is likely to provide some much-needed relief to residents.
However, the situation remains grim for now. On a recent visit to Kirari, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena expressed shock and anguish over the ‘hellish conditions’ that residents of the locality were forced to live in. Raj Niwas officials said that Saxena was “visibly peeved” at seeing overflowing sewers, open manholes, heaps of garbage, and potholed-dusty roads in the area.
The Kirari segment is one of the largest in Delhi with a total of 2.93 lakh electors. Since its creation in 2008, the BJP and AAP have won the seat twice each. Despite winning the seat comfortably in 2015, sitting MLA Rituraj Govind saw stiff competition in 2020 from former MLA Anil Jha from the BJP. The BJP has replaced Hans Raj with former North Delhi Mayor Yogendra Chandolia while Congress has nominated Udit Raj, a former BJP MP.