Tragedy was waiting to happen: Waterlogging in Old Rajinder Nagar ignored for decades
Anshita Mehra
New Delhi, July 28
The tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar has shed light on a decades-old issue that residents have long been battling—persistent flooding in their area. The incident, which occurred in the basement of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle, has prompted locals to voice their frustrations about the lack of action from authorities despite numerous complaints over the years.
An old problem
The issue of flooding is not a recent problem. This area is a low-lying zone, and water has always accumulated here. All the councilors and MLAs are aware of this flooding issue. — Old Rajinder Nagar resident
No new drainage created
The construction near the Metro station has raised the level of those roads, preventing water from flowing through. No new drainage has been built, exacerbating the problem. Many people complain to the authorities, but no one listens. — JK Sharma, Shopowner
“We have been living in this area since the 1950s. The issue of flooding is not a recent problem,” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous. “This area is a low-lying zone, and water has always accumulated here. All the councilors and MLAs are aware of this flooding issue. Many of our neighbours have met the officials to complain, but nothing has been done.”
The residents’ frustration is palpable. Despite multiple warnings and complaints, the authorities failed to take preventive measures. “While this tragedy is very saddening and should not have happened, the dynamics were already set for something bad to occur,” he said.
The flooding has not only been a nuisance but has also caused physical harm. Recounting his own woes, another resident Shubham said, “Rainwater entered the rooms of my house. I slipped and fell and broke my hand.” Soniya, another local, shared her concerns about the unresponsive officials. “For the past 15 days, videos and photos of waterlogging in the area had been shared via all the political and non-political groups with authorities, yet no action was taken. Despite tagging local MLA Durgesh Pathak and MCD Councilor Arti Chawla on the videos and photos, they did not pay attention. Even today, the MCD councillor Arti Chawla has not come to visit the area despite the tragedy.”
Kriti, who has lived in the area for many years, described the chronic nature of the problem. “Everyone here knows that even with a 10-minute rain shower, the area gets flooded due to the slope, and it has been the case for the past 15 years. Even though this year the rain has not been as heavy as in previous years, the flooding is still severe.”
She added, “It is a daily occurrence that water gets logged here, and commuting becomes impossible. This lane where the coaching institute is located is on the main road, and scooters, bikes, and even cars get stuck here.
The water reaches knee length, and passing the road is only possible if you take an auto or rickshaw; otherwise, you can’t walk here.”
Veer, another resident, highlighted the infrastructural shortcomings. “The drains here have not been properly cleaned in the past 15 years. And with the increase in the population, the number of buildings has also increased, but there is no proper drainage system.”
JK Sharma, a shop owner in the area, provided a broader perspective on the issue. “I have been running my shop here for the past 15 years, and over the past 4-5 years, the flooding situation has been getting worse. This area is low-lying, so all the water from Shankar Nagar and New Rajinder Nagar accumulates here since those areas are on a higher level. The construction near the Metro station has raised the level of those roads, preventing water from flowing through. No new drainage has been built, exacerbating the problem. Many people complain to the authorities, but no one listens.”
The residents of Old Rajinder Nagar hope that this tragic event will finally prompt the authorities to address the long-standing issues and prevent such incidents in the future.
