Aya Nagar pond buried under garbage, muck

NEW DELHI: The sight is far from pleasing. Household waste and sewage water have amalgamated into a huge pile of garbage on a two-acre plot. This isn't the description of a landfill site. It's a pond in Aya Nagar that has turned into a dumping ground, owing to continuous neglect on the part of civic authorities. At a time when the capital is witnessing a surge in the number of dengue cases, the area is serving as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"It's not really a pond. It's a dumping site. Even sewage water is making its way into it. Three cows died here last week after being trapped in the swamp. We have repeatedly complained to civic authorities but no action has been taken. When we approached South Delhi Municipal Corporation but the agency refused to take responsibility for the mess. Officials said DDA is responsible for the pond's maintenance," said Ved Pal, president, Aya Nagar RWA.

This isn't the only pond in the city dying a slow death. Water bodies across the city are fast disappearing and municipal corporations haven't taken any steps to maintain them despite a high court on the issue. "It is not the corporations' job to maintain water bodies. Either the Delhi government's flood and irrigation department or DDA looks after them," said Mukesh Yadav, director, press and information, South corporation. Interestingly, the erstwhile MCD had earmarked Rs 50 lakh for the upkeep of water bodies in last year's budget.

HC had instructed DDA to take action against private parties which had connected sewer lines to the pond. But, DDA and the corporations have been passing the buck as far as the maintenance of water bodies is concerned. DDA says that all areas which contain water bodies have been transferred to the corporations. "Only lakes fall under DDA's ambit. Smaller water bodies have been given to the corporations," said DDA spokesperson, Neemo Dhar.

Recently, health department officials of one of the corporations found mosquito larvae breeding at a Najafgarh pond. "Many areas lack a proper drainage system. Since sewage enters water bodies they turn into breeding grounds for the insects," said a source.

Times view

The MCD has for a few years now been very meticulous in sending out squads to check for mosquito breeding in private homes. Perhaps it should focus more on ensuring that public spaces are kept free of the menace. Water-logged public spaces and open drains are too common a sight to excite any comment from the capital's residents, but they do provide fertile breeding grounds for all kinds of health hazards. A civic authority that insists on individual citizens maintaining cleanliness in their homes and neighbourhoods carries little credibility if it itself has such a poor record of sanitation.

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