'All lies, no work,' complain Delhi's 'jhuggi' residents

Muddy water, unsanitary conditions, and women's safety were just some of the many issues listed out by the residents of 'jhuggis' in East Delhi's Kalyanpuri. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to complete all development works in unauthorised colonies within five months.

New Delhi: Residents of an unauthorised colony in East Delhi's Kalyanpuri complained about a plethora of issues, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised to complete development works within five months.

Kejriwal had on Saturday directed officials to complete development works in at least 781 unauthorised colonies in the city within the next five months. He made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting with PWD Minister Satyendar Jain and senior officials.

ETV Bharat visited one such unauthorised colony in the Kalyanpuri Assembly segment to find out whether residents of 'jhuggis' are happy with the government's work. Pertinently, AAP's Manoj Kumar is the present MLA from the constituency.

'All lies, no real work'

Complaining about the lack of developmental work in the area, a resident said, "I have been staying here for the past 25 years. The government claims that it has done a lot of work, but that is not the case. They are all lies, our condition is still no better than before."

'Cleanliness a big issue'

A number of residents complained about the unsanitary conditions all across the 'jhuggis'. A resident claimed that the drains in the locality have not been cleaned in the last eight months. "At a place where at least 10 sanitary workers are required, only two have been deployed," he said.

'Potable water not available'

A woman complained about the muddy water being supplied by the Delhi Jal Board. "Only muddy water runs through our taps. We are forced to buy drinking water at high prices, because our children are falling sick due to the contaminated water," she said.

'Drunkards frequently cause nuisance'

Another woman complained about drunkards causing nuisance. "Women feel very unsafe at night. Drunkards create a nuisance almost on a daily basis. Complaining to the cops is of no use, as even they are mostly drunk on duty at night," she said.

Read: Miffed Delhiites put up posters, say their MLA is 'missing'