Delhi floods: People stay in Mayur Vihar camps, wait for river to recede

As the water level in the Yamuna started going down, several residents of the area returned to their homes in the floodplain to assess the damage

Women line up near a makeshift enclosure to take a bath; a man sits on his cot and gets a shave,as others wait in line behind him; children lie in cots, some studying, others glued to cellphones. For people living in a trail of tents and makeshift enclosures along Noida Link Road in east Delhi, life is in stasis, with a sense of resignation and hopelessness heavy in the air.

People in a makeshift tent at the Mayur Vihar camp, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Raj K Raj/HT)

Some of them returned to their homes in the floodplains of Mayur Vihar on Tuesday, only to find wrecks where their lives once stood. So, even as waters recede across the Capital’s flood-affected districts, residents of low-lying floodplains in Mayur Vihar have made the relief camps their homes, well aware that it will be weeks before they can return.

“This is an annual practice for us,” said Radhe Shyam, a resident of Chilla Khadar village.

“This time, the water level was much higher and increased suddenly overnight, giving us little time to collect our belongings and move out. It will take a long time for the entire water to recede and the area to get dry,” he said, adding that people must simply start work and earn livelihoods.

“With the area still in such a condition, we may have to stay in these camps for a couple of months.”

As the water level in the Yamuna started going down on Tuesday morning, residents several of the area returned to their homes in the floodplain to assess the damage and retrieve whatever they could.

“We have got our papers, some clothes and utensils, gas cylinders and solar panels. But we are now checking if there are more clothes that we can bring back. What we got initially has been used, and there isn’t enough water for us to keep washing clothes daily,” said Ram Singh, a farmer and resident of the area.

Meanwhile, infections and illnesses have surfaced in relief camps, with the floods now presenting authorities with public health concerns.

“The doctors said there may be several types of infections because of the flood. They said regular baths are important for us and the children, as we don’t know how long we will have to stay here,” said Mala Devi.

District officials said around 10,000 people are living in three rescue camps in Mayur Vihar — at DND Pusta, Nursery Pusta and NH24 Pusta. Officials have also started distributing fodder for the cattle and around 200 tents have also been distributed.

“People are slowly going in now to assess the situation and mend their huts if anything is broken. However, it may take a couple of weeks before people can start returning home,” said Sandeep Dutta, subdivisional magistrate (SDM), Mayur Vihar