NEW DELHI: For the past two months, residents of Trilokpuri in East Delhi have been living amid burst sewer lines and overflowing drains, with no respite despite repeated complaints to civic authorities.
A ground visit by this newspaper revealed that streets in Blocks 30, 31 and 32 of Himmatpuri are inundated with filthy water. Several homes are reportedly affected, with residents forced to endure unsanitary and hazardous conditions. “This has been the situation here since February. We have complained to every civic agency, but none of them have responded appropriately,” said Surbhi Negi, a resident of Block 30.
Local resident Sanjay Gupta said workers from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had visited the area a week ago but left most drains unrepaired. “Besides, they just remove silt from the drains and leave it on the side of the roads,” he said, pointing to stagnant piles of sludge lining the lanes.
Last week’s rainfall worsened the situation, causing widespread waterlogging and knee-deep sewage on the roads. “Waterlogging is a persistent problem for us every monsoon. But this time, we are afraid that the situation will become unbearable,” said another resident. Residents said local MLA Ravi Kant had assured them that the issue would be resolved by April 1. However, there has been no action on the ground so far.
The issue of poor drainage management came under scrutiny last year when heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and infrastructure damage across Delhi.
Following the deluge, it was revealed that only 290 of the 713 drains under MCD’s jurisdiction had been desilted ahead of the monsoon.
In response, the Delhi government had announced an ambitious drain-cleaning initiative for 2024. The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department has assured the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that 23 of Delhi’s 24 major drains would be desilted by May 31, 2025. However, the Najafgarh drain, the city’s largest, will take longer, with a deadline of June 2027.
On April 12, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said, “We are trying to ensure that all the drains are cleaned and desilted before monsoon. We will get the entire Delhi cleaned up, no matter who the MLA is there. The authorities have assured that the drains will be cleaned in one month.” The PWD is also strengthening coordination with agencies like CPWD, PWD, and NBCC.
Waterlogging, a persistent problem for us: Residents
Last week’s rainfall worsened the situation, causing widespread waterlogging. “Waterlogging is a persistent problem for us every monsoon. But this time, we are afraid that the situation will become unbearable,” said resident. Residents said local MLA Ravi Kant had assured them that the issue would be resolved by April 1.