NEW DELHI: The problems faced by Delhiites are increasingly being turned into fodder for political blame games between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with both sides accusing each other instead of focusing on resolving the issues.
A similar situation has been unfolding in Kirari’s Sharma Colony for the past several months, where residents have been forced to live amid knee-deep sewage water both inside and outside their homes. Shops in the area have remained shut, students have been compelled to skip school, and daily-wage labourers are struggling to move through sewage-filled streets. Those who could afford to do so have abandoned their homes and shifted to other locations in search of safer living conditions.
Sharan Singh, a 60-year-old resident, told The Sunday Guardian that he has been living in Sharma Colony for the past 15 years and has never faced such conditions before. He said that for several months now, residents have been forced to live in what he described as “hell”, with no alternative place to go. Singh added that despite repeated complaints, no one has come forward to help—not the councillor, nor the MLA or MP from the constituency.
A 37-year-old woman, carrying her young son in her arms, said that every day she has to lift him and walk through knee-deep sewage water. She explained that she could not keep her child away from school indefinitely, and with no other option, she decided to carry him herself to drop him at school. She said the problem has persisted for months, making daily life extremely difficult.
Another resident, Karan, told the newspaper that the previous AAP government failed to build a proper drainage system in the colony, allowing water to flow towards open DDA plots. However, over the past few months, the DDA has started dumping garbage on this land, which has blocked the natural flow of water. As a result, sewage and rainwater now flow back and collect inside the colony. He said residents have repeatedly approached the authorities, but no one has listened to their grievances, leaving them trapped in these conditions.
Arun, a daily-wage labourer, was seen walking through the sewage-filled streets wearing gumboots. He said he is the sole earning member of his family and has no choice but to pass through the polluted water to reach work. He added that even access to drinking water has become a challenge, while nearby grocery shops remain shut, forcing residents to wade through sewage just to buy essential items.
The entire colony has effectively turned into a dumping ground, with toxic waste scattered across the roads. Residents are desperately crying out for basic civic facilities that they rightfully deserve—as voters and as citizens who live and work here. Delhi is a city of migrants, a place people come to in search of employment and a better quality of life. Yet in Sharma Colony, the situation is so dire that residents see no possibility of even moving from one house to another. The area has become a complete dead end, prompting locals to urgently appeal to the government for immediate intervention.
On the other hand, the issue has sparked a political slugfest, with opposition parties such as the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party blaming the ruling BJP for the crisis. The BJP, in turn, has hit back, asserting that the situation is a consequence of the failures and neglect during the AAP’s tenure in power.
Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP-controlled DDA has been dumping garbage from the Bhalswa landfill on vacant land in Kirari for the past six to seven months, blocking natural drainage and flooding residential areas. He said the dumping has choked natural water outlets, severely affecting daily life, and demanded that the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta must explain who authorised the dumping and what drainage measures were put in place. Bharadwaj also claimed that repeated warnings by the local AAP MLA were ignored, leading to worsening waterlogging after the monsoon.
Similarly, Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha criticised Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma for blaming the previous AAP government for waterlogging in Kirari, saying the BJP can no longer shift responsibility after a year in power. While admitting the poor condition of several colonies, Jha said development work had been done but drainage projects were stalled due to DDA objections. He added that AAP MLAs and the Chief Minister had repeatedly pushed for proper drainage. Calling for action over blame, Jha urged Verma to approve pending drainage proposals to provide relief to residents and stop politicising the issue.
While Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav blamed both the BJP and AAP for worsening living conditions in Sharma Enclave, Kirari, alleging negligence by the local AAP MLA and civic agencies. He said residents are facing serious risks after waste from the Bhalswa landfill was dumped on an open DDA plot without draining stagnant dirty water, affecting nearly 150 streets. Yadav demanded urgent removal of the stagnant water and garbage, called for the vacant plot to be developed into a public space, and urged the CM and LG to direct authorities to stop dumping waste there.
Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma blamed the AAP for long-standing waterlogging in Kirari, alleging that no proper sewerage or drainage infrastructure was developed there for over a decade. Dismissing what he called politically–driven misinformation, he cited official records showing only ₹43 lakh was spent on sewage maintenance in 11 years and said even an approved sewerage project remained stalled due to poor planning and coordination under previous Congress and AAP governments.
Verma said the present government is now taking a coordinated approach, with multiple large-scale drain and sewer projects underway. These include new and remodelled drains by the I&FC, PWD and DDA worth several hundred crore rupees, along with local drainage works in Sharma Colony, aimed at permanently resolving Kirari’s waterlogging problem.
