When a posh Delhi locality goes waterless

Vasant Vihar is a prime colony in South Delhi. But it’s parched dry. It’s like the Thar and Sahara deserts. Soon, we will have Bedouins floating there with camels, I guess. The water crisis has largely become a football game, except we have no results even with a penalty shootout.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and MVV agencies have serially failed the residents with inadequate supplies, more often no supplies, irregularities of pressure, erratic timings. It’s a nightmare in a civilised world. We residents pay taxes, are law-abiding citizens, respect the Constitution, and only want water which is justly allocated to our colony. Our supplies are often diverted to other areas for obvious reasons.

The elderly, physically challenged, sick, are facing hardships for even a few drops of water. The colony has been in constant touch with every agency: Lots of promises, zero results. Unfair!

To hear history sheets of excuses is passé now. Not good. Not tolerable. Water leakage, aged and old pipelines, sewage contamination, all just to add spice to the already fearful and tiered colony. Why should a citizen listen to endless reasons or excuses? We need results and resolution. Not asking for much, from families who have 90 years old and dependents as parents; forget a bath, hand washing is a luxury. We elect politicians to govern, not to fail us. We are in despair.

Yes, as a prime colony and educated, we can’t do dharnas on the road or block traffic. Even if that works, we will not do anything illegal or wrong. Searing heat, high humidity, no water, and no respite. Every morning and night, the highlight is to check if water is coming? Alas, no such luck for 3-4 days at a stretch.

Tankers are hardest to get, phones off the bell, dry but testy eyed, this is an appeal to the authorities that respect your citizens to earn the same. Water forms the basic fabric of existence and survival. Bottled waters for cooking, no cleaning, no sanitation, is what we are at.

In an era of Covid-19, where hygiene is core, even drinking water is scarce. In anxiety and a stressed environment, all we ask for is regular water supply to Vasant Vihar and other colonies too. Blaming other state governments, and all and sundry will not help.

Different agencies merely pass the buck. Crores of taxpayers’ money were wasted last year for new pipelines which never worked. Who is accountable for this loss, pain and misery? We are not politicians or leaders. We are thirsty citizens who demand water.

Delhi government, please resolve this. Our pain is on Twitter since ages, meetings held, letters written, but to no avail. Society has come to a grinding halt in our colony, because we aren’t important or dispensable? Our waters are regularly diverted to other clusters. JEs, heads, CEOs of these agencies all have been contacted. Some days, the excuses are low pressure, burst pipe lube, ammonia constant, maintenance issues, Haryana or other reasons. Reasons haven’t run dry. Our Taos have.

Do we wait for divine intervention of rain gods or wait for justice. God will know better.

The writer, a noted doctor, is a resident of Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.

Different agencies merely pass the buck. Crores of taxpayers’ money were wasted last year for new pipelines which never worked. Who is accountable for this loss, pain and misery? We are not politicians or leaders. We are thirsty citizens who demand water.