Delhi polls: Water, sanitation, safety issues take centre stage in Haiderpur, Samaypur Badli

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) As the Delhi Assembly elections draw closer, issues such as water scarcity, sanitation and unsafe streets have become poll issues in Haiderpur and Samaypur Badli.

Residents in these rural areas are grappling with challenges like overcrowded homes, open sewage, garbage-littered streets, persistent foul odours and lack of water availability which have become a part of their everyday lives.

While some residents remain optimistic that the elections might bring some positive changes, others have grown disillusioned with political parties.

Women in these areas lacks voter identification cards. "We are unaware of the process to get voter IDs," said a local woman and a mother of three.

Highlighting the lack of educational facilities, another woman resident said, "My kids are not getting admission to government schools. The only development here is the clinic, where doctors treat us when necessary, and we receive free medicines." She added that financial support from political parties, such as Rs 2,500 or Rs 2,100, would help manage monthly groceries.

Water scarcity is another persistent issue in these areas.

"There is no drinking water here," said Rakesh, who works as a mechanic.

"Water tankers come once or twice a week, leading to fights and quarrels among residents. Many political leaders have visited and are aware of this issue, yet nothing has changed over the years," he added.

Similarly, a shopkeeper who has been running a store in Haiderpur for the last 34 years pointed to the open sewage and garbage near his shop.

"We have been collecting money to fix the roads ourselves because construction hasn't happened here in decades," he said.

Safety concerns also plague the area. Roshni and Pinky who were returning from school, spoke about the frequent thefts in the area.

"Snatching phones and purses has become common in this area, we don't feel safe enough to come out of home after 6 pm," they said.

Rajesh Kumar, a labourer from Bihar, highlighted the unhygienic conditions of public washrooms.

"The few washrooms we have are unusable. People prefer going outside instead because of hygiene issues," he asserted.

Another resident Parvati Devi spoke about the financial struggles of the community. She said, "We use the money meant for schoolbooks and uniforms to buy groceries or water. Food is more important than education when you're struggling to survive." Residents in these areas do not expect grand infrastructure like the rest of Delhi but dream of necessities such as clean water, functional roads, and safe neighborhoods. However, many have given up hope of seeing any improvement.

Haiderpur and Samaypur Badli fall under the Shalimar Bagh Assembly Constituency. In the 2015 Assembly elections, Bandana Kumari of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defeated Rekha Gupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

This year, the constituency will see a contest between Bandana Kumari (AAP), Rekha Gupta (BJP), and Praveen Jain (Congress). The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, 2025, with results to be declared on February 8. PTI SHB NB NB