Local issues take centre stage ahead of Delhi polls, residents flag issues

Ahead of Delhi Assembly polls on February 5, residents across the national capital have raised concerns over a range of civic issues,including poor road conditions, water quality and rising pollution levels.

Mohammad Sadiq, a resident of Seelampur in northeast Delhi, highlighted the ongoing issue of contaminated water.

"We have electricity, but the water quality is very poor. We have to buy clean water for drinking and cooking, which costs between Rs 30 to Rs 50 per day. The condition of the roads in our area is another major concern. We expects the next government to resolve these issues," he said.

Another resident from Hardevpuri, Durgapuri in northeast Delhi, Harsh Tyagi, pointed to multiple problems, including narrow lanes, lack of parking, and insufficient green cover.

"The pollution level in our area is high due to the lack of trees. The narrow lanes leads to parking congestion congestion and there is no proper drainage system," Tyagi said.

In northwest Delhi, Nisha Sharma, expressed concerns about bad roads and stray cattle.

"While we have access to electricity and clean water, the roads are in poor condition, with potholes everywhere. The main roads are fine, but the inner lanes in Trinagar and Wazirpur are in bad shape. Stray cattle is also a challenge, making it difficult to navigate through the area," Sharma said.

Environmental advocate Verhean Khanna, founder of the New Delhi Nature Society, stressed the importance of reducing reducing waste and increasing greenery to tackle pollution.

"We have to produce less amount of garbage, especially the plastic waste. There are some garbages which we cannot avoid. We need a proper and separate channels for disposing electronic wastes and biodegradable waste can be converted into fertiliser," Khanna said.

"We have set up three pits in a park at our colony where we are converting the biodegradable waste, which we collect from the houses of the society, into fertilisers," he added.

Khushboo Tiwari, a resident of Chhatarpur, voiced concerns over drainage overflow during monsoons.

She said the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road sees major traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. Additionally, the drainage system overflows during rains, creating difficulties for the residents.

There's also the issue of hanging wires and electric poles near homes, posing safety risks, she added. Tiwari further claimed that there is no park in their area for the residents.

Bittu Bhardwaj, a resident of southwest Delhi, said that after Anand Vihar, Palam is the most polluted area in the national capital.

"There is a lot of construction ongoing in this part of the city which causes high pollution level in the area. Palam is the second most polluted area in the national capital following Anand Vihar. The roads are in bad condition leading to traffic congestion in the locality," Bhardwaj said.

Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director, Centre for Holistic Development, called for collective participation to address the pollution and civic issues in Delhi.

He said the population density is increasing leading to extra burden on the waste creation in several forms posing a significant challenge.

The issue of climate change is not being properly addressed due to which the society is getting impacted, he he added.

"We need to have proper planning and participation of all stakeholders of the society to deal with the rising civic issues. We also need to aware people before seeking their participation. There are garbage mountains in Delhi which are not being disposed off properly," Aledia said.

He further said that the government should have a proper plan regarding the vehicles in the national capital.

Voting for Delhi Assembly elections will take place on February 5, with counting to be held on February 8.