Imagine this: you turn on the tap for a refreshing drink of water, only to be met with a pungent odour and a murky liquid. This isn’t a scene from a slum area, but the reality for residents of Sector C1 in the posh Vasant Kunj locality of Delhi. For months, over 50 flats have reported sewage contamination of their drinking water, turning their taps into fountains of foulness. The problem seems to be deep-rooted, with some residents suffering since 2023.
Leaking sewage lines are suspected to be the culprit, but aggravated further by the mismanaged sewage pipeline rehabilitation project of DJB near DPS. While the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has provided water tankers, their arrival is akin to a lottery – erratic and unpredictable. This forces the residents to live on a knife-edge, constantly following up for their daily water needs. As if this wasn’t enough, all manholes reek of sewage, hinting at a deliberate diversion of sewage into storm water channels by the DJB – a solution as bad as the problem itself.
Despite repeated complaints lodged with the authorities, the response has been deafening silence. Frustrated residents have taken to social media, tagging all relevant officials – government, DJB, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) – hoping their pleas will be heard. Some lanes in the sector have been completely cut off from the water supply, forcing them to rely solely on expensive private tankers. This is a stark reality in a supposedly posh locality like Vasant Kunj. The residents of Vasant Kunj are left waiting – for clean water, for a stench-free environment, and most importantly, for their voices to be heard.
