First Indore, then Greater Noida and now West Delhi. For the past two days, contaminated water has been supplied to the HMP (Hot Mix Plant) Colony in Raghubir Nagar, within the Rajouri Garden assembly constituency. Initially, the supply was cut off for 10 days, and when it resumed, foul-smelling, sewer-like water began to flow. The water has such a strong odour that, let alone drinking, it cannot even be used for other daily chores. The question is, will the administration only wake up when people here also start falling ill?
Administrative Neglect And Rising Water Mafia
Colony residents allege that when they call to complain, the JE does not answer the phone. This is happening even after 27 people died and 33 others fell ill from drinking contaminated water in Indore, while in Greater Noida, around 130 people suffered from vomiting, diarrhoea, or fever. Meanwhile, the water mafia is taking advantage of the administrative neglect. The 20-litre water bottle, which previously sold for Rs 20, is now being sold for Rs 25.
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Aging Infrastructure: Sewer And Water Pipelines
Sewer line and water supply pipeline together. Delhi has approximately 16,000 kilometres of pipeline. Of this, 5,200 kilometres of pipeline are more than 30 years old and 2,700 kilometres are over 20 years old. In many places, the sewer line and the water supply pipeline run alongside each other. In such cases, sewage water mixes with the supply through damaged pipelines.
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Failure To Implement Delhi Jal Board Directives
Following the Indore incident, the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board had instructed that any complaints be resolved within two days. However, seeing the situation in HMP Colony, one can gauge how seriously officials are taking the CEO's directive. Residents of the colony complain that whenever a complaint is made to the Delhi Jal Board about water shortages or contaminated supply, they receive a text message. The message contains the number of the area's JE, but when they try to contact this number, the phone is never answered, no matter how many times they call.
Murky Supply And Suspected Sewage Leakage
Colony residents say that water has been supplied to only some parts of the colony for the past two days, but even where it is available, the pressure is low. The water is murky and also has a foul smell. It is suspected that sewage water is mixing into it somewhere. Many people keep their taps running in the hope that clean water might eventually start flowing, but only the foul-smelling, murky water continues to come out.