NEW DELHI: MCD has been subject to criticism by the opposition along with public disillusionment due to its inability to tackle civic issues.
The functioning of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been a subject of considerable debate and scrutiny. Despite assurances and electoral promises, significant challenges remain in various aspects of public service delivery. Issues such as inadequate infrastructure maintenance, poor waste management, insufficient sanitation facilities, and ineffective urban planning have persisted. These shortcomings have led to public dissatisfaction and criticism from various quarters, highlighting the MCD’s failure to meet the expectations of the people of Delhi for improved living standards and infrastructure.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the MCD in December 2022 after defeating BJP, which had been in control for 15 years. AAP won the election by promising to provide world-class facilities to the residents of Delhi, leveraging the fact that both the state government and the MCD were under their control. However, their promise soon began to fade as Delhi experienced severe flooding during the monsoon season. The opposition claims that the flooding was a result of AAP’s failure to effectively manage both, the state and the MCD. They argue that due to AAP’s inability, Delhi faced severe flooding, resulting in many people losing their homes and some losing their loved ones.
AAP has also failed to form a standing committee in the MCD, which has prevented the corporation from making decisions on various pending projects. The BJP continues to demand the formation of the standing committee, but AAP, being in power, has managed to block it. Currently, the matter is in court.
A standing committee is a statutory body that plays a significant role in the administration, making key decisions on financial matters, policy implementation, and other important issues. The inability to establish this committee hinders the MCD’s efficiency and effectiveness in governance. The 18-member standing committee is one of the most powerful entities within the civic body, as it controls the financial resources of the MCD.
The MCD could not expedite the process of desilting before monsoon, despite witnessing the conditions in Delhi during the previous monsoon season. The opposition claims that the overconfident mayor assured that they were ready for the monsoon and had completed 80% of the desilting work. However, a day after the mayor’s speech, the first monsoon shower exposed the AAP-led MCD’s claims, resulting in widespread waterlogging across the national capital. BJP, the opposition party in the MCD, accused Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi of negligence, pointing out that all the drains were overflowing due to lack of pre-monsoon cleaning.
Thousands of dilapidated houses across Delhi pose significant maintenance dangers, with many still inhabited by families. Between June 17 and June 25, two sections of ramshackle houses collapsed in Sita Ram Bazar, Ward 75, in Old Delhi. Additionally, a large portion of a building at 3842 Gali Lohe Wali, Charkhe Walan, Ward 79, in a densely packed market area, also collapsed, causing three shops on the ground floor to suddenly cave in. The MCD has failed to take action against these multiple collapses of hazardous buildings. Following these incidents, the Delhi BJP urged the Municipal Commissioner to conduct a comprehensive survey of Old Delhi within a week and address the dangerous buildings. The BJP criticised the Municipal Corporation’s decision to close the Dangerous Building Department and transfer its responsibilities to the Maintenance Department, which has led to increased negligence and accidents. They also highlighted significant corruption within the department, which deters people from seeking help.
MCD could not control the spread of dengue in 2023. This situation was so severe that they stopped issuing data on dengue cases and deaths. This decision has caused concern among the public because the availability of such data is crucial for assessing the extent of the problem and taking necessary preventive measures. People fear that if the MCD continues to withhold dengue-related information, it would indicate a constant failure on its part to effectively combat and curb the spread of dengue in Delhi this year.
Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, MP from the South Delhi constituency, criticised AAP’s administration in the MCD, stating, “AAP came to power in the MCD promising to improve cleanliness and reduce garbage heaps. However, the city is increasingly becoming a dumping ground, with garbage mountains growing unchecked. There is a rising risk of diseases like dengue and malaria spreading, yet the government remains inactive.”
Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, leader of opposition in MCD, said that every citizen of Delhi is troubled by the irresponsible behaviour of the AAP government in the Delhi Municipal Corporation. He added, “Municipal Corporation and the Delhi government should apologise to the people of Delhi for their failures. BJP demands that the Corporation administration compensate for the damages caused by waterlogging in Delhi.”