'Delhi Turned Into Living Hell': Atishi Writes To Chief Secretary Over Sewer Overflow In National Capital

Atishi highlighted inadequate manpower and machinery as contributing factors and warned of a public health crisis if the issue remains unresolved.

Delhi Water Minister Atishi wrote a letter to the chief secretary on Thursday regarding the ongoing "sewer overflow" issue in various parts of the national capital, calling the situation a “living hell” for the residents. Atishi paid a visit to several areas in Uttam Nagar to inspect the problem and spoke with residents who were frustrated by the continuous issue.

The minister described the sewer overflow situation as “absolutely shocking,” stating that it has transformed these neighborhoods into breeding grounds for diseases.

Atishi stated that when she arrived, the condition of the sewer overflow was utterly shocking. These areas have been transformed into a living hell. Such sewage overflow serves as a breeding ground for various diseases and poses a significant public health risk.

According to Hindustan Times, the minister also noted that when residents report their concerns to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) field staff, they often receive excuses about a lack of machines, insufficient staff, and budgetary constraints for the delays or lack of maintenance.

'Delhi Has Been Turned Into A Living Hell:' Atishi  

She highlighted that the number of contractual workers has drastically reduced from 73 last year to just 18 this year. Additionally, the number of sewer cleaning machines has decreased from 14 to 7, which Atishi said has significantly impacted the DJB’s capacity to manage and address sewer blockages.

Atishi urged for the immediate deployment of sufficient manpower and machinery citywide within the next 48 hours to prevent any part of Delhi from facing issues of sewer overflows. She warned that if the issue is not resolved, it could lead to a severe public health crisis and threatened to hold the responsible officers accountable for any epidemic-like situation that might arise.

"Delhi has been turned into a living hell because an artificial financial crisis has been created in DJB. This cannot be allowed to go on. When the government has allocated a large budget for the DJB, proper deployment of machinery and manpower needs to be done on the ground. Otherwise, the officers busy shuttling the files and causing a financial crisis in DJB will be held responsible for creating a public health crisis and epidemic-like situation in Delhi," she added.