Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Saturday instructed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to take immediate action to resolve the escalating issue of sewer overflows across the city. In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Atishi highlighted the widespread complaints regarding sewer overflows and directed him to oversee the resolution of these issues while holding negligent officials accountable.
Atishi pointed out that several areas, including Patparganj Village, Shashi Garden, Kichripur, Subhash Park, Raj Nagar Part 2, Satya Niketan, RK Puram, Ranjeet Nagar, Faridpuri, Budh Nagar, Pandav Nagar, Karol Bagh, Garhi Village, Pillanji Village, Chandrawal Village, Kotla Village, Sarai Kale Khan Basti, Zamrudpur, and Chirag Dilli, are severely affected by overflowing sewers. She described the situation as worsening daily and causing significant inconvenience to residents.
The minister also warned of the potential health hazards posed by sewer water contaminating drinking water in several areas, which could lead to a serious public health crisis if left unaddressed.
Atishi criticized the lack of coordination between various departments, including the Urban Development Department, Delhi Jal Board, and Finance Department, which she said are engaged in a blame game instead of resolving the issue. She stressed that this dysfunction is directly impacting the people of Delhi.
“The Chief Secretary, as the head of the bureaucracy, must take responsibility for resolving these internal conflicts and ensuring that the public does not suffer due to the negligence of government officials,” Atishi wrote in her letter.
The directive aims to address both the immediate sewer overflow crisis and the underlying coordination issues among the concerned departments.
