With Delhi Legislative Assembly elections drawing near, the spotlight has shifted to the civic infrastructure and governance, exposing a range of pressing issues in the national capital.
From deteriorating roads and uncollected garbage to waterlogging, these challenges highlight the gap between promises made and their implementation.
Residents across Abchal Nagar and Chander Vihar area in Nilothi extension near the Najafgarh drain, earlier known as Sahibi river, are voicing their frustrations, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and effective governance.
Residents of the area are grappling with dire civic issues that have made everyday life increasingly challenging. Overflowing sewers and an inadequate drainage system have left the area prone to waterlogging, creating a public health hazard and significant inconvenience for locals.
With elections just around the corner, residents are calling for immediate attention to these pressing issues, hoping their voices will be heard amid the political hustle.
Speaking to Tehelka.com a resident said the sewers were laid a few years back but till today these have not been made operational, forcing the residents to rely on making alternate and unsafe means of disposal of human waste.
“These sewers were laid a few years back and we faced huge difficulties as many water motors were uprooted during the process. However, after the sewers were laid, till now, none of them have been made operational,” said a resident of the colony.
Compounding the problem are poorly maintained roads, riddled with potholes, which have become a source of frustration for residents and pedestrians alike. The situation of the area underscores a broader neglect of essential civic services, raising questions about governance and accountability.
“Walking on these roads is a nightmare. The condition is so bad that two-wheelers often skid. It’s high time the authorities wake up to our plight,” another resident named Gursimran Singh said.
Speaking on the uncollected garbage, Ramandeep Kaur said, “This MCD vehicle only comes when there are elections otherwise these vehicles don’t ply on the streets. We have hired private people who collect the daily house garbage from our homes.”
Despite repeated comments by Tehelka.com, sitting MLA Dharampal Lakra refused to respond to the questions.
The 70-member Legislative Assembly in Delhi is scheduled to go for polls in February 2025. Besides the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress are the main contenders.
Over the years, AAP has seen a decline in winning seats in 2020 as compared to 2015. The party won 67 seats in Delhi for the year 2015 and 62 in 2020.
