Mayur Vihar residents up in arms against sewage unit, threaten to boycott upcoming MCD polls
At least 4,000 families in the MIG Mixed Housing Complex nearby have threatened to boycott the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls.
In Short
- They say the facility emits so much foul smell that it has turned the area into a "gutter gas chamber."
- They rue they have written to CM Arvind Kejriwal and PM Modi but all in vain.
- Due to inaction, residents have now written to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Residents of Mayur Vihar Phase III in east Delhi are up in arms against the Kondli Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in their neighbourhood. They say the facility emits so much foul smell that it has turned the entire area into a "gutter gas chamber."
At least 4,000 families in the MIG Mixed Housing Complex nearby, which are worst affected, have threatened to boycott the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls.
They rue they have written to BJP MP Maheish Girri, CM Arvind Kejriwal and PM Narendra Modi. But with only assurances and no respite coming, they now prefer to give a thumbs down to each one in the civic elections.
The 45 million gallons per day (MGD) STP (Phase IV) was commissioned in August 2013. It is spread over 172 acres.
RESIDENTS SHARE PLIGHT
Urvashi Popli, president of Astha Apartments RWA, said, "I have been living here since 1999. After the STP was set up, life became hell. It stinks throughout the day. ACs, fridges, computers get damaged in weeks. Companies refuse Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs)."
President of Sunshine Apartments RWA, Cholayil Shashidharan, said, "All are affected. Many have fallen victim to asthma, recurrent sneezing and throat infections. They are living on inhalers and nebulisers."
A local resident, Indu Choudhury said, "It's embarrassing. We can't call over relatives".
LOCALS WRITE TO NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
Shashidharan said, "Failing to get an answer from any of the authorities we approached, we have now written to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). We are determined not to vote in the MCD elections since they clearly don't care."
He said they would mobilise residents of affected Kondli and Dallupura colonies and villages as well, taking their strength to three MCD wards.
Shesh Ram Singh, executive engineer at Delhi Jal Board, who spoke to Mail Today over phone said, "We understand the difficulty the locals are going through. The company running the facility - Va Tech Wabag Ltd. - is not meeting our parameters as well. We have served them a show-cause notice as to why they shouldn't be replaced."
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