Flood woes: 4 to 5 dirty washrooms for 400 people

The city continues to grapple with the aftermath of flooding with government officials, ministers and NGOs working to extend relief and support to the affected residents.

Millennium Post visited the Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidalaya flood relief camp in Batla House and found more than 400 individuals comprising 67 families had sought shelter there. Thirteen rooms were provided for the people with essential necessities such as food, electricity, and medical aid.

However, out of around 12 washrooms, only 4 to 5 dirty washrooms were accessible to 400 individuals while others were locked and opened periodically.

Other than that, an ambulance remains stationed at the camp to address any medical emergencies, and regular fumigation efforts are undertaken to mitigate the risk of diseases.

In the relief camps of G Block MCD Primary School women struggle for sanitary napkins. Many women have complained of UTI-like symptoms, but with no medical professionals deployed at the camp, they are left helpless.

Inside the washrooms, at the Jahangirpuri relief camp, Millennium Post found the sewer clogged and pools of stagnant water. Meanwhile, most of the camp’s residents have been denied access to mosquito nets, exacerbating their already precarious living conditions.

“Women have no option but to go to the broken washroom that is barely usable right outside of the school’s gate and defecate openly as none are available anywhere close,” Rima said. An official from the DM office revealed several individuals have contracted severe cases of conjunctivitis at the camp in E Block.

At the relief camp in Batla, Rabia and Azaad, who came from Sultani Masjid Juggi, expressed their gratitude for the government’s efforts. “The government is providing us with everything that is needed, and all the arrangements have been done in the camp nicely. We have also been given the ration and mats,” the duo added.

Sayeda, a resident of Dhobighat, said, “Some residents visit the camp solely to receive food. And since the camp is far from our children’s school, we had to keep our children at our relative’s place.”