Waterlogging: ‘Blame game needs to stop’
New Delhi: The persistent issue of waterlogging and the rain crisis that hit Delhi on June 28 has claimed 11 lives and has continued to cause havoc for the residents of Delhi.
Raghav, a Delhi resident from Lajpat Nagar said, “The blame game needs to stop, at this point, it’s not about taking accountability. The authorities need to get to work, and
stop pointing fingers in this time of crisis.”
AAP MP Sanjay Singh claimed the incident that killed one and injured eight at Delhi Terminal 1 is ‘shameful’ for the Delhi BJP. He said, “The Terminal that was inaugurated only a few months ago, collapsed under heavy rain causing deaths and injuries.” He questioned ‘who was to blame’ and accused the BJP of corruption.
Responding to MP Sanjay Singh, the Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “He has been an MP for 6 years, constantly making statements, but where was he on June 28 when the rain crisis struck Delhi?”
While party leaders debate where the blame should be placed, the death toll increases steadily.
Waterlogging at the New Delhi station caused the death of a young woman when she grabbed an electricity pole while trying to dodge a phuddle and was electrocuted. Due to heavy rainfall, a portion of the canopy at the Delhi Airport Terminal 1 collapsed killing a cab driver.
Prashant Sharma, from Prashant Vihar, said, “I tried to put my leg down to balance the bike, but there was a huge hole and my foot was submerged almost 3 feet underwater. I was lucky because I had a friend with me and there was a pole I could use for support, otherwise, this could have turned out very badly.”
Prashant was made aware of the case of the woman who died due to electrocution under similar conditions after his encounter and stated that the knowledge of the incident made him anxious about his own experience.
On June 30, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said, “The citizens should be assured that there will be no further waterlogging due to rain.”
Khush Sachdeva, a Delhi resident living in Kailash Colony said, “I have lived in Kailash Colony my whole life and it’s frustrating to see that the rainwater management has not improved at all. The rainwater causes the sewer to clog and this brings insects and odour into our homes. While the odour and insects are unpleasant, it does not stop at these minor inconveniences. Our family car ends up at the service centre frequently due to water entering the engine. My siblings and my father work very hard in the service sector and we pay our taxes and in return, this is what the civic agencies reward us with.”
