Delhi: Karawal Nagar
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Civic issues
2017
Paras Singh, Apathy raises stink in Karawal Nagar, April 6, 2017: The Times of India
Even getting garbage cleared regularly is a poll promise in the badlands of Karawal Nagar in northeast Delhi. Saddled with damaged roads, drains heaving with filth, lack of parks and community centres, people living in this stretch between the Yamuna and UP border aren't optimistic about the April 23 municipal elections ushering in any changes in civic situation here.
The unauthorised colonies that have come up on agricultural land -inhabited by a significant number of Muslims, Poorvanchalis and migrants from Uttarakhand -constitute five wards, up one after delimitation, and the most in an assembly constituency in east Delhi. A new ward, Shri Ram Colony , has been carved out of parts of Sonia Vihar and Khajoori Khas wards, while Tukh Mirpur has transformed into the Sadat Pur ward. Karawal Nagar West is the fifth ward.
Khajoori Khas, the village around which the area grew, is in abysmal condition. The drains are filled to the brim with plastic bags and refuse. “The East Delhi Municipal Corporation's main job is sanitation and our main problem is lack of it,“ sighed village resident Prasram. “Since our councillor doesn't live here, the village is completely neglected.“
Because the colonies have come up without planning, there are no provisions for garbage management. With no one to clear the filth, villagers frequently burn trash in violation of National Green Tribunal directions. “We don't want to add to pollution, but what else can we do?“ asked Karawal Nagar shopkeeper Ram Kumar. And despite being thickly populated, there are no EDMC dispensaries or primary healthcare centres in the region. There are no parks or open spaces, so children play among the nullahs and high-tension transmission towers.
In Shri Ram Colony , illegal micro factories operate from the narrow lanes. These may provide employment to residents, but they also overburden the already precarious civic infrastructure. Mohammad Shadab, an ice-cream seller, conceded that the roads were newly laid a year back, but, as he pointed out, “They have since been broken in most places apparently to lay pipeli nes.“ Indeed, a drive in the five wards showed that road digging is a pervasive problem.
Sonia Vihar, well known for its water-treatment plant, is the largest of the wards with a population of over 80,000. The bane here is the unpaved paths that pass for inner colony ro ads. “You cannot drive here during the monsoons. If the politicians can't develop civic infrastructure here, why do they come to ask us for votes?“ muttered an angry Shamsher Singh. Sumit Sharma, a photographer, added that he had lived in the area since 1992 and has never seen any effort being made to improve the roads.“Only localities that have access to councillors get roads, most of inner Sonia Vihar has no roads,“ he alleged.
With EDMC's coffers empty, it is easy enough for councillors to claim lack of funds to carry out civic projects. Dharmendra Singh, representative of Karawal Nagar West, evaded all criticism by saying, “Lack of funds meant files were not cleared.“ They also fall back on the rule that civic funds cannot be utilised for work in unauthorised colonies.
