These people – mostly the poor in unauthorised colonies – are even “willing to pay” for water and sewerage if these services reach their areas and homes.
Citizens Solidarity, a social organisation, joined with the state government to conduct a first-of-its kind survey in 12 slums of Delhi on water needs.
These were from East Delhi (Sunder Nagri, Seemapuri, Kalindi Colony, Welcome Colony, Harsh Vihar, Chand Bag and Janta Colony); North West Delhi (Bhalswa, Nand Nagri); South Delhi (Dakshinpuri, Madangiri, Sanjay Camp) and South West Delhi (Bharat Vihar/Dwarka).
Most people residing in the surveyed bastis are daily wage workers in construction and small manufacturing works.
The average salary of a single-earning household is estimated to be only Rs 5,000- Rs 7,000 a month, and will be badly affected by any rise in water and sanitation service rates.
A majority of the 120 respondents, 75 per cent of them women, said they “don’t need 24x7 water”; all they want is “adequate supply of good water and toilets in their homes” for which they could even pay a “reasonable” amount.
Devendra Kumar, president of Citizens Solidarity and the chief surveyor, said: “In unauthorised colonies like Sangam Vihar, Delhi Jal Board does not provide piped water or any sewerage services. Residents of Sonia Vihar have been unable to obtain water connections despite repeated representations. In Bhalswa JJ colony, situated next to the Bhalswa landfill, where groundwater pollution is very high, people are forced to use it for drinking; and in south Delhi slums, where there is no groundwater at all, their demand is entirely met by the water mafia.”
“The survey found that these people are already paying between Rs 30 and Rs 300 a month to tankers and the mafia for their water needs. Most respondents said they would rather give this money to the government, especially since it means individual toilets and an end to women going out to defecate.”
Families said the government’s 666 litres of water per day per household may be inadequate or a wastage depending on the number of members in each home. The survey found that on an average, a family size of 5.4 members with toilet facility at home consumes 450 litres per day at a per capita consumption of 80 litres.
A household of 5.4 members without a toilet consumes 300 litres per day at the rate of 55 litres per person. A family of eight or more members, however, requires upwards of 1,000 litres per day, which could render the government-approved free water quota inadequate.
This supports the argument of many water experts for tariff slabs starting at very low prices instead of providing water for free.
The survey found that in only three of the 12 bastis - Harsh Vihar, Chand Bag and Sunder Nagri - did most households have toilets, on account of water available from private submersible pumps.
Almost all residents are concerned about the poor status of public toilets in terms of infrastructure, cleanliness, safety and high user fee. Currently, users of public toilets pay Rs 30-120 per month per family for using community toilets.
When asked what will be the affordable amount for monthly toilet use, the response from some was Rs 50-60 per family.
Rampant extraction of water in Millennium City has left it high and dry. Not only has the groundwater table gone down in several areas, but improper connectivity of pipelines has made things difficult for Gurgaon residents.
The adverse impact of water scarcity has already started showing. The health department recently took water samples at 27 localities and 10 of them failed on drinking parameters.
Residents claim that due to leakage in the pipelines in many areas, water from the sewers is getting mixed into drinking water.
“We have been collecting water samples on a regular basis in different localities. During the latest test we found that samples from some of the localities were unfit for drinking,” Gurgaon’s chief medical officer Pushpa Bishnoi said.
The health department found that the water samples lacked an adequate amount of chlorine.
Three civic bodies - the HUDA, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and public health department - are responsible for supplying water in the city.
HUDA owns two water treatment plants which have been supplying water in the city through various water booster plants owned by all three agencies in respective areas.
Residents of localities like Arjun Nagar, Model Town, Baldev Nagar etc. have complained about contaminated water supply.
“We complained a month ago to MCG about contaminated water, but nothing has happened,” said Kavita Sharma, a Model Town resident. The residents are furious over the civic agencies’ apathy.
“This could pose a serious threat to residents, especially pregnant women and senior citizens,” another resident, Sakshi Manchanda said.
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