Residents decry three-year sewage crisis in Anand Vihar

Residents of Anand Vihar face severe sewage overflow issues, worsening health, and contaminated water despite years of complaints to authorities.

Residents of Anand Vihar have alleged that despite repeatedly complaining to authorities for over three years about overflowing sewage lines in their locality, no permanent solution has been implemented. They said the problem has worsened in the past few months, with sewers frequently overflowing onto streets and contaminating drinking water, leading to several cases of illness.

The lanes inside the colony get filled with sewage. (HT Photo)

“The roads and lanes inside the colony get covered with sewage. It is a horrible situation, as it becomes difficult for people to walk around, and the water enters ground-floor houses too. When the sewers overflow, people have had sewage come out of the drains and enter their kitchens and bathrooms,” said Vikram Sharma, 56, a resident of the colony since birth.

Residents said they have repeatedly approached the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Chief Minister’s office, and several Members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, but the issue remains unresolved. “Whenever we call the DJB, they send a tanker which sucks out the sewage, providing relief only for an hour or two. Thereafter, the sewers continue overflowing,” said Sharma.

According to the residents, the issue has intensified recently, with sewage overflowing on a daily basis. “Many children have fallen sick in the past 3 to 4 months. The problem is that our sewer line connects to the one on Jail Road, which is blocked. As a result, the groundwater lines are also contaminated, and smelly, polluted water comes from the taps,” said Rajinder Singh, general secretary of the Anand Vihar Welfare Association (AVWA).

Sharma said the situation had even caused health emergencies. “A few weeks ago, my daughter suddenly fell sick, as her room was filled with fumes from the sewage. She was intensely vomiting and had to be taken to the doctor. I have written countless mails to the Chief Minister and to the DJB, but nothing has happened.”

Sharma shared with HT a thread of 67 emails and responses exchanged with the DJB and CM’s office between May 19 and October 6. The DJB’s responses only stated that the complaint had been registered and forwarded to the area’s joint engineer, who “will resolve it in 3 days,” Sharma said. The CM’s office responses stated that it had been forwarded to PWD minister Pravesh Verma’s office, he added. Mails from Pravesh Verma’s office were also included in the thread, but also only stating that the mail had been forwarded to the DJB. “Around 1,500 people live here, but many are thinking of moving to other localities. What else will they do when they are unable to even use their toilets?” said another resident, requesting anonymity.

The DJB did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.