NEW DELHI: The residents of Delhi’s Chilla village continue to live amid filthy lanes and overflowing drains. In this village near East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, it is common to see household pipes releasing waste directly onto the roads, turning the narrow streets into stagnant, foul-smelling stretches.
Many residents, who have been living here for almost 40–50 years, say the sewage system has remained damaged and clogged for as long as they can remember. Despite repeated complaints, they claim no meaningful action has been taken.
Ravinder, 37, who runs a tyre-repair shop and has lived in the village for several years, says, “The main sewer line has been clogged since 3–4 years now.” He adds that the drinking water pipeline and the waste pipeline often witness a “mix-up” because of cracks and damage. “It largely affects the quality of our drinking water,” he says.
An elderly resident, Jiten Bhati, points to another persistent issue. “The washroom drains of many houses here are not connected properly to the sewage system. That is why waste, including human faeces, can be seen on the road in front of houses,” he says. According to him, requests to authorities have gone unheard for years. “Even if they fix some pipelines, within a few months they get damaged again,” he adds.
Echoing similar concerns, another resident, Ashok Kumar, says, “There is not a single lane in this village where you will not find overflowing sewers. The foul smell makes these places a den of diseases.” He also blames some residents for carelessness. “All their toilets end up on the road. We have complained several times, but they have not taken any steps,” he says. “Not just damaged sewage systems but also lack of awareness keeps this area so unclean.”
Walking through the lanes, children are seen playing around these dirty drains. Mothers sit on one side of the lane doing household work, resigned to the conditions. “We live on rent, so our say is limited. The landlords live elsewhere and remain unconcerned,” they say.
Mamta, a househelp and mother of three, worries about her children’s future. “Who would want to stay in such an unclean place? But we don’t have money,” she says, pulling her younger daughter Payal back from the drain.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has allocated the largest share of its budget to sanitation. But whether these efforts will reach remote lanes like Chilla village remains uncertain. Until then, children like Payal will continue growing up unaware of what a clean environment looks like.