Sleeping under tarpaulin, uncertainty over food and defecating in open

New Delhi: As floods hit the low-lying areas in the national capital, slum dwellers whose houses got submerged claimed that they were not alerted beforehand and many others alleged that help was not forthcoming from the administration. Many of those affected by the floods in Mayur Vihar and old Yamuna bridge areas have been sleeping in the open with just a tarpaulin over their heads, defecating in the open and waiting for the water levels to recede. Pointing towards the submerged house under the Yamuna bridge, Seema, a 39-year-old woman, grieved about how her efforts of 20 years went into vain in just three days. “I have been working as a househelp for the last 20 years and spent every penny of my income for my house and my children. The efforts and hard work of 20 years went into vain in just three days,” a tearful Seema said. She claimed that they have received no help from the government except for plastic tarpaulins and a packet of milk and that they were not alerted beforehand about the rising water levels. “Earlier the police used to alert us before floods but this time no one even prompted us to move out of our houses and the whole of the slum is submerged in water now. The government says a lot of things but gives us nothing. We only received one tarpaulin and a packet of milk. They came and wrote our names on Saturday, took all the details but nothing has been done so far,” Seema told PTI.

“The government talks about providing homes to the slum dwellers but all they do is try to move us away from here,” she alleged. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced special relief measures, including accommodation, food, water and toilets, for the affected people. The water level of the Yamuna river on Sunday was recorded at 205.98 metres, down from a peak of 208.66 metres at 8 pm on Thursday.

The water level in Yamuna on Saturday showed signs of receding, but the relief was short-lived as late evening showers caused further waterlogging of several roads. Recalling floods in 2013 in Delhi, 45-year-old Ashok who lived near the banks of Yamuna river in Mayur Vihar alleged lack of any government support.

“It flooded in 2013 but it wasn’t this bad. Water entered our homes after Diwali too last year but it receded very soon. This time, the water level was so high that it even touched the bridge. All slums went under water. There’s no supply of drinking water too. We received no help from the government - no food, no ration or water. We didn’t even receive tarpaulins. After the water recedes, we have to go back there and fix everything on our own,” Ashok told PTI. The Delhi government has blamed the BJP and the Haryana administration for allegedly diverting the water flow from Hathnikund barrage only towards Delhi.

They alleged that the Haryana government stopped the water flow in east and west canals (of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana), which led to the unprecedented rise in water levels of Yamuna river. However, several slum dwellers claimed to have received no relief aid from the Delhi administration. Echoing the views of Ashok, 50-year-old Suresh alleged that every time there was a flood-like situation in Delhi earlier, they were alerted as well as evacuated beforehand. “But this time nobody alerted us. It’s been four days that we are staying here. When water entered our homes we evacuated ourselves, moved minimal belongings, nobody helped us. Boats were sent yesterday to check if anyone is stuck in the submerged slum,” Suresh claimed.

He said that they bought tarpaulins with their own money and that fixing his house after the water level recedes will cost him thousands of rupees. “We bought tarpaulins with our own money. It will cost me thousands of rupees to fix everything in my house after the water level goes down. No washroom facility for women, they have been defecating in the open,” Suresh told PTI. He also urged the administration to provide drinking water for the people affected in the flood-hit areas.