Taps run dry in Vasant Kunj block as DDA, DJB lock horns

Vasant Kunj’s E block is struggling with the severe water shortage as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) refused to take the responsibility of providing water to the colony. The water utility says it is DDA’s responsibility to construct a tank. But the land for the construction could not be handed over to DJB because of legal issues.

According to official documents, a copy of which is with HT south Delhi, the DDA has paid around Rs 90 lakh out of Rs 1.20 crore sanctioned to DJB to ensure water supply. The remaining amount has to be paid after the water availability is assured.

Residents of the locality have held several meetings with the officials of DDA and DJB in the last six years but to no avail. The E block of Vasant Kunj, a colony of 795 houses, was set up by DDA in 2008 and the units were sold to people in 2010. Initially, there were seven borewells in the area which were used by the residents to meet water needs. Eventually, these borewells stopped working and now just two borewells work.

The water requirement of the area is partially fulfilled by water tankers that fills the underground reservoir in the locality and two borewells. This, however, is not enough for 4,000 people living in the area as often the tankers don’t reach on time.

President of the RWA Bharat Singh, said , “We have had multiple meetings with DDA and DJB officials but they keep blaming each other.”

RWA secretary Mukesh Verma said, “DJB officials say that DDA is not handing over the area to them while DDA says that DJB is not taking its responsibility. In the process we are being made to suffer.” Before the construction of a society an approval has to be obtained from DJB. If DJB was unable to provide the approval should not have been given for construction, he added.

The residents have also written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in which they have written that the water they get is not fit for consumption causes diseases . Charanjeet Singh Arora, resident, said, “In Delhi, even unauthorised colonies are being provided potable water and 20,000 litres of free water, but a colony built by DDA in an affluent area does not have these facilities.”

A senior official of the DDA said, “We had identified an area that had to be given to DJB to build tanks so that water could be supplied to this locality. But the land is disputed and it cannot be handed over to DJB. We are trying to identify an alternate site to be given to DJB.”

The residents say that it is an excuse as the sector has its own Underground Water Reserviour (UGR) of 4.5 lakh litre capacity which could be linked to the pipeline which supplies water to Sarita Vihar and is passing just 500 metre away from Sector E2. “We are tired of hearing excuses from DJB and DDA,” said Verma.

A senior official of Delhi Jal Board said, “DJB provides water to other Vasant Kunj colonies. If a particular locality isn’t getting water, it means there is a problem with the water source. Since it’s a DDA colony, the civic body has to make arrangements.”