Okhla residents seek better living conditions
A Muslim majority area in South East Delhi under the Okhla Assembly constituency reeks of garbage smell and overflowing sewers in the narrow and populated lanes.
In sharp contrast to many Assembly segments of South Delhi which have developed infrastructure, Okhla lacks even the basic amenities.
As contesting candidates meet voters during their campaign for the February 5 Assembly election, locals demand better roads, sewer lines, sanitation and health infrastructure and improvement in traffic that mostly remains congested.
“In the past several years, there has been no development in the area. No hospitals or schools have been built. It’s not like this party or that party was not working, but it’s the political mindset of leaders,” said Mohd Rizwan, a shopkeeper in Batla House.
“In areas with a significant number of minority votes, political parties use them as a vote bank. None of them is concerned with how we live. The inner lanes are narrow and on top of that you would find overflowing drainage. They come and make promises, then roam around proudly. But what does that give us?” he questioned.
Politically, the segment has become a hot seat as the sitting MLA from AAP, Amanatullah Khan, is in a gripping contest with Congress’ Ariba Khan, daughter of a two-time MLA and councillor Asif Mohammad Khan, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Shifa ur Rehman, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots and BJP’s Manish Chaudhary.
In Shaheen Bagh, a bustling neighbourhood with a number of eateries and fashionable clothing, residents said the area had seen urban development in terms of people creating high-rise residential buildings. However, the area lacks sanitation, with garbage dumped around corners and construction materials.
“The roads have not been built well, every six months, you would see some construction on the roads only to see these broken some days later. Shaheen Bagh sees a large swathe of crowd, especially on the weekdays, these broken roads become a challenge amid traffic congestion,” said Abdul Rehman, explaining his experience of driving in the area.
He further said that looking at the congestion and the huge sea of people, it is alarming regarding the lack of safety issues in these shops.
“On an evening in June, three eateries and a number of flats were gutted in a blaze situated on 40 Futa Road, the food street of the area. However, there were no major injuries, but it was a cause of concern,” he added.
A 32-year-old mother of a girl child, Shahana, pointed to the lack of government medical facilities. “Okhla has a dense population, however, it suffers from a severely inadequate healthcare infrastructure. There are a limited number of Mohalla Clinics in the area. These are frequently either closed or poorly equipped. We are then forced to depend on private clinics.”
Another notable thing that she said was that there was a lack of proper waste disposal system in the constituency. “You would find garbage piles on every corner of the street. Stray dogs are often found on those piles, our children fear going out to buy sweets for themselves. You find more garbage dumping yards than parks in this area.”
She concluded that as voters, they only urge the next MLA to not let their votes go in vain. Despite the growing population, everyone deserved better living conditions, she said.
