Lack of proper sewage system makes life difficult for residents of Chhatarpur Phase-I

Residents of Chhatarpur Phase-I are forced to live in highly unhygienic conditions due to lack of a proper sewage system. The sewage and garbage from neighbouring Maidan Garhi village is discharged into the adjacent open park of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which has turned into a small open sewage pond. Since there is no system of cleaning this sewage and garbage, it harbours several pests and mosquitoes which are dangerous for children and adults alike.

Naveen Kumar, a resident of Chhatarpur, had complained about the foul smell and health risks posed by the open sewage in his neighbourhood. “Sometime back, I had appealed to Rampal, the local Councillor, about the issue but to no avail,” he said.

When asked about the plight of residents due to lack of sewage system, Rampal replied: “I know that there is an untreated accumulated sewage in my ward. Since the open plot is in my ward, I will write an application to the District Commissioner of South Delhi to look into the issue. That is all I can do.” He further added: “Even if effort to clean the plot is started, it will take a long time to complete the task.”

“It not only stinks and produces foul smell but is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, rodents and other disease transmitting vectors. The mosquitoes become a serious problem before and after the summer,” said Mahesh Chandra Saxena, an environment activist and a local resident. There is a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Mehrauli, just two km North of Maidan Garhi village. “The toxic water accumulated at the plot is polluting the ground-water and soil,” he added.

Katar Singh Tanwar, representative of Chhatarpur Assembly constituency said: “There is no sewage system in Chhatarpur area. Construction of sewage system is at a planning stage. Meanwhile, it is the responsibility of Municipal Corporation to maintain and clean open drains and sewage in that area. But they are not doing their duty.”