Struggles and long queues: Delhi's residents battle for water

New Delhi: The residents of Delhi continue to face an acute water crisis this summer, with scenes of long queues and people struggling to secure even a basic supply in several areas.

As temperatures soar to nearly 50 degrees Celsius, the demand for water has risen significantly, leaving many desperate and frustrated.

The residents in several areas of Delhi are lining up with their plastic containers, anxiously waiting for the water tankers.

Vibha Devi, a resident of Geeta Colony, shared her plight: "I stand in line from 4 am, but due to the crowd, I can't reach the water tanker...It's hard to get water." Asked whether she manages to get water, she said, "Sometimes we get water, sometimes we don't. When we don't, we have to buy it from outside and use it sparingly." Speaking about the insufficient supply of water tankers, another local Gajendra Pratap Singh said, "Tanker comes in our area, but it's only half full since they need to deliver the other half somewhere else, and for this half, we stand in line from early morning." The frustration is evident among the residents, who jostle for their share as soon as the tanker arrives.

Expressing concern about the problems faced by them, another local Neelam said, "We don't even have water to drink. Every day, people are fighting for water as there are thousands waiting in line for three to four hours, but the demand is not being met." "Many of them do not get water even after standing in queues with pipes and buckets," she added.

Another local Sabnam echoed similar sentiments and said "there are thousands of people waiting for half a tanker of water".

"We've been standing in line since 3 am, but there’s no water for anyone," she added.

Many people are also taking to social media to complain about the water problem in their areas.

Nitesh Singh, a banker living in South Delhi, tagged the government in his post on X, highlighting the severity of the crisis. He wrote, "Dear Sir, I am from Jawahar Park, Khanpur, South Delhi. We are facing a water supply crisis, not even getting a tanker for survival. This is very painful. We regularly call the concerned personnel of DJB, but they are not listening. This is forcing my society and many families to leave Delhi." Delhi BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP government of corruption, alleging mismanagement and wastage of water.

Sachdeva claimed, "Haryana is providing water, but by the time it reaches Delhi, 53 per cent gets wasted due to mismanagement." The BJP leader said the government knows Delhi faces such issues during the summer season and asked why it did not come up with a summer action plan to address the issue.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made an appeal to the Centre and the BJP to urge the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to help Delhi meet its water demand.

"The entire country is experiencing unprecedented heat, leading to a water and electricity crisis. However, water demand has surged while supply from neighbouring states has decreased. We must solve this together. BJP protests won't help. I urge everyone to set aside politics and work together to provide relief. If BJP can secure some water from Haryana and UP for Delhi, it would be greatly appreciated. Let's unite to provide relief during this heatwave," he wrote on X.