NEW DELHI: On Saturday, families living in the DDA flats in Pocket 4 of Mayur Vihar I got busy from 5am bailing out the rainwater flowing into their houses.
“For five-six years, we have asked the municipal corporation to look into this problem, but nothing has happened,” bemoaned Sanjay Browne. “People had to get rid of the water from the rooms, kitchens and washrooms before it damaged the fridge or washing machine or other appliances. It took us five hours to normalise things.”
Asha Browne, Sanjay’s mother, said that it took a lengthy argument before East Delhi Municipal Corporation provided an electric pump, that too one with a damaged part. “The residents had to arrange for the fuel to get it running,” she added.
An EDMC official, however, insisted that the chief engineer and other officials worked continuously to resolve the complaints. “In many places, there might have been delays, but we did reach assistance everywhere,” the official maintained.
In Greater Kailash, Vasant Kunj and some areas in east Delhi, including Naveen Shahdara, water seepage haunted the residents. “Our furniture in the basement got damaged due to flooding early this year. On Saturday, there again was major seepage and the basements had knee-deep water,” said Dr G P Vashist of E Block, GK II.
At Teliwara Bazar in old Delhi, water from sewer lines overflowed into shops and houses. “Shop owners suffered huge losses due to their stocks being damaged by water,” claimed Rakesh Yadav, president, Federation of Sadar Bazar Market Associations. The area municipal councillor and former mayor, Jai Prakash, said traders were adamant on relief. “I finally had to call in super sucker machines to get rid of the dirty water entering the houses and shops in the area,” Jai Prakash said.
Sadar Bazar MLA Somdutt Sharma felt the waterlogging had nothing to do with the sewer lines. “Why doesn’t this problem arise during the rest of the year? The fact is that we need stormwater drains to channelise rainwater. There is no proper drain on this stretch.”
