The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday vowed to address all sewer-related problems in Delhi on a priority basis and announced a comprehensive plan to overhaul the capital’s sewer lines in the coming five years if AAP is re-elected to power. With claims of making progress on this front during the past decade, the AAP chief promised the repair of all sewer lines and the replacement of aging pipelines on a war footing across the city. Assuring residents of swift action, he urged them not to panic and pledged to address pending issues rapidly after returning to power.
In a scathing attack, BJP south Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said Kejriwal’s press conference is an indication that he has accepted that the problem of Delhi sewer blockage and overflow has become very serious. “The public is completely disappointed with the government which was involved in corruption for ten years and on the coming 5th February, Delhi will get freedom from this corrupt government. Today he has also accepted his failure on the problem of sewer blockage and sewer overflow. However, he is still lying that he has laid some sewer lines in unauthorized colonies, while the truth is that first Kejriwal and now Atishi government did not do any work in the illegal colonies,†he said.
Earlier, in a video message, the former Delhi chief minister highlighted the development work undertaken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the city's unauthorised colonies, stating that significant progress has been made in providing basic infrastructure in these areas.
"When we formed the government in Delhi, there was no development work in unauthorised colonies. No government worked for these colonies. We started the development work and today, almost all such colonies have sewer pipelines and other facilities," he said.
AAP chief acknowledged that existing sewer lines in the city have become old, and complaints are coming in from different areas regarding overflows, blockages and leakages, while at some places there is even contamination of drinking water happening due to sewage.
Kejriwal said,†I have decided that when our government is formed again, we will replace all old, leaking, or damaged sewer pipelines in Delhi on a war footing to resolve these problems permanently.â€
Meanwhile, talking of the current situation of drains and sewer systems in Delhi, especially in the unauthorized colonies across the city’s rural belt, the condition is deplorable.
Locals from places like Mundka and several other places, especially in outer Delhi say that they have to deal with overflowing sewers, drains that have made streets and roads nearly inaccessible on foot, while they have to walk in dirty muck and water.
There are many places where water logging has become a major problem, making such places a breeding ground for diseases.
The 70-member Delhi Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on February 5, with the results set to be announced on February 8. The AAP is seeking a third straight term in power, having won 62 of the 70 seats in the 2020 election.
