Sewage Crisis In South Delhi: Posh Societies Battle Overflows And Contaminated Water

Residents of upscale societies in South Delhi, specifically Saket, New Friends Colony and East of Kailash—are facing severe civic distress due to persistent sewer blockages and overflows. The situation has led to the spread of filth and foul odours throughout these neighbourhoods. More alarmingly, the sewage overflow is contaminating the drinking water supply, posing a serious threat to public health and hygiene.

Root Causes

RWA representatives highlight two main causes for the collapse of the sanitation infrastructure:

Deteriorated Infrastructure: The sewerage and water pipelines were laid years ago and have now completely deteriorated.

Capacity Issues: The existing infrastructure is unable to cope with the load generated by the increasing number of housing units.

Cross-Contamination: Sewage flowing on the streets frequently enters homes through the compromised water pipelines.

Specific Area Grievances

New Friends Colony: Arun Jaggi, Treasurer of the New Friends Co-operative House Building Society, reported that sewer overflows are frequent in Blocks A, B, C, and D.

He pointed out a critical infrastructure failure. The Maharani Bagh line, which carries sewage to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Kilokri, has been blocked for the past three months. This has worsened sewage disposal for the entire area.

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Saket: Rakesh Dabas, President of the Federation of RWAs, Saket, stated that the deteriorated old pipelines have forced residents of even "posh colonies" to live in dire conditions.

Official Complaints And Demands

The RWAs of the affected areas have filed written complaints with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and relevant public representatives. South Delhi MP Rambir Singh Bidhuri has also written to the Jal Board requesting action, though no solution has been found yet.

The residents have demanded the following immediate actions:

Inspection: Relevant departments must inspect the area to assess the actual situation.

Investigation: Identify the specific causes of the blockages.

Infrastructure Upgrade: Replace the deteriorated pipelines to handle current loads.

Health Safety: Take immediate steps to prevent the contamination of the water supply.

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