advertisement
In July 2023, when the Yamuna River overflowed its banks – leading to Delhi's worst floods in over four decades – Om Prakash and his family, residing in the low-lying Yamuna plains near Mayur Vihar, had to be evacuated to higher ground.
A vegetable vendor, Prakash lost his weekly earnings of Rs 2,000 for almost three months as he, along with his wife Gayathri Devi and 16-year-old son Kumar, moved to a makeshift tent on the national capital's highway.
Barring some important documents, most of their belongings were washed away in the floods, resulting in a cumulative loss of nearly Rs 30,000, Om Prakash lamented.
"We are either suffering due to floods or the depleting water quality of the river. But we are the least cared for," the 45-year-old said.
It's hard to challenge Om Prakash's allegations.
As Delhi votes on 25 May in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, The Quint visited five areas situated along the river to find out what the voters hope and expect to change for them.
While in East Delhi, the fight is between the AAP's Kuldeep Kumar and the BJP's Harsh Malhotra, two-time BJP MP Manoj Tiwari is looking to retain his seat from Northeast Delhi.
This was the larger sentiment shared by several residents The Quint spoke to. With sewage, domestic, and industrial waste making its water toxic and unfit for consumption, the 22-km stretch of the Yamuna River in Delhi is the most polluted in the country.
Not only is it the main source of water for the Delhi, but the farming and fishing communities have lived along the banks of the river for generations.
Khiman Singh, 67, once a floodplain farmer, reminisced about his childhood days spent near the Yamuna.
"When we were young, we used to swim in the river. The water used to be so clean that we used to not just take a bath, but also drink it without filtering it," Singh, a resident of Northeast Delhi's Old Garhi Mandu village, told The Quint.
The clear blue waters in which, as Singh recalled, one would be able to see a coin if dropped inside, are now covered with toxic foam.
Singh spoke about how living near the contaminated water leads to increase in mosquitoes around their area, making residents in his village prone to waterborne infections.
Three kilometres from Singh's shop is where this reporter met Rambharan Kashyap, a fisherman near the Wazirabad barrage under the Signature Bridge in North Delhi.
As Kashyap, along with a few other fishermen got out of the river, they cleaned up with fresh water and broke for lunch. Speaking about the thriving marine life in the river 15 years ago, Kashyap said:
Kashyap, too, spoke about the adverse health effects of the polluted river water. "Look at my hands, this is because of the bad water quality. We fall sick often. Sometimes our skin burns when we stay inside the water for long," he told The Quint, showing rash marks along his arms.
"We stay inside the river for 4-5 hours a day. The river is dying – and it is killing us too," he added, as he finished lunch and prepared to go inside the water again to catch fish to sell in a nearby market.
On 9 July 2023, Delhi recorded 153 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, the highest single-day rainfall since 25 July 1982, leaving the floodplains inundated not just in low-lying areas, but also reaching the power corridors in the heart of the capital – the Supreme Court, the Delhi Secretariat, Red Fort, and ITO.
The flooding also set off a blame game between the BJP-led Central government and the AAP, which governs Delhi.
On one side, the Delhi government blamed the neighbouring state of Haryana (ruled by the BJP) for the release of water from the Hathni Kund barrage "only towards Delhi" – and not to neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. On the other, the BJP hit back, blaming the Delhi government for not desilting the Yamuna effectively.
The residents The Quint said they are caught in between this political blame game.
In addition to the floods, many highlighted the poor living conditions in the area and the neglect by various political parties, leaders, and governments alike.
Echoing similar sentiments, Khiman Singh, who resides in Old Garhi Mandu village, told The Quint:
Singh was referring to the government's Master Plan for Delhi 2041, which states that 'Zone O' comprises the entire floodplain along the 22-km-long stretch of the Yamuna. A total of 76 unauthorised colonies come under this zone – and no new construction is allowed in this area.
But when asked if this would be an election issue for him, he was quick to respond: "Of course not. Our living conditions may be bad, but (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji has overall done well for the country."
Apart from the fact that the river is no longer the one they grew up around, displacement of communities due to eviction drives is a major cause of concern.
The riverfront project aims to "beautify" and "rejuvenate" the floodplains by developing it for "recreational" activities and biodiversity parks.
Speaking to The Quint, Randheer, 46, who had a farm on the floodplain in Bela Estate, said:
Both East Delhi BJP candidate Harsh Malhotra and Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari have outlined Yamuna cleanliness and riverfront development as part of their roadmap. The Quint has reached out to Malhotra and AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar's team for their plans for the Yamuna River. This story will be updated as and when they respond.
For those who live along the river in Northeast Delhi's New Usmanpur village, does the river matter when they vote this month?
"I don't think it does. Why would it? We are voting for the next Prime Minister... MPs cannot solve this issue alone. It is a collective effort between both state and Centre," said 82-year-old Yogesh, a former floodplain farmer, who now resides with his family a kilometre from the river.
But, for Kamal, a teacher from Bela Estate, the pollution of the Yamuna River and the displacement of his community are important issues based on which he will cast his vote on 25 May.
Kamal, Randheer, and several other residents of Bela Estate told The Quint that they plan to opt for NOTA to show their displeasure with both parties.
"We sent multiple letters (copies of which were accessed by The Quint) to PM Modi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, L-G Vinay Kumar Saxena over the last year, but we received no response. So, now when BJP, AAP or Congress leaders approach us, why should we vote for them?" they asked.
However, several people The Quint interviewed said that they will step out to vote on 25 May despite "knowing that there will be no change in our lives."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
Published: undefined