Indore renews fear in Delhi as smelly ‘black’ water flows into homes for years

As a deadly health crisis triggered by contaminated water in Indore shocks the country, residents across several parts of Delhi say they are living under a similar threat, with municipal taps delivering polluted water instead of safe supply.

In Shahdara’s Bhagwanpur Khera, Jeevan Nagar, and East Vinod Nagar, residents describe a daily struggle with foul-smelling, black water mixed with sewage, leaving families dependent on bottled water and vulnerable to disease.

Despite repeated complaints to local authorities, residents say the problem has persisted for years, raising fears of a looming public health disaster.

Foul water

In Bhagwanpur Khera’s Lane Number 4, residents say water supplied every morning and evening is visibly dirty. When stored, it leaves behind layers of filth, forcing families to discard it.

“The water is dirty in the morning and evening. It flows for at least 20–25 minutes or half an hour. When we stir it, the dirt is clearly visible. It’s a mixture of sewage water,” said Shiv Karan, a resident.

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“Even when clean water flows after that, it has a pungent smell. Everyone orders bottles of drinking water. We are living a hellish life here,” he added.

Shiv Karan said complaints were lodged multiple times in December regarding sewer overflow and water contamination, but no action followed.

“I complained on December 17, then again on December 21, and again yesterday. I have called JE (junior engineer) Hemant Gautam many times, but he did not even pick up the phone,” he said.

Ignored complaints

Just across the road in Jeevan Nagar, residents report similar conditions, blaming corroded pipelines that allow sewer water to mix with drinking supply.

Pawan Kumar, a long-time resident, said the problem has remained unresolved for nearly a decade.

“I have been living here since childhood. This is my ancestral land. This water problem has been going on for 10 years,” he said.

Also read: Bengal, with its twin water threats, heightens watch after Indore crisis

“Jitendra Mahajan was the MLA earlier, and even now. He does not come here to check. He just calls. He neither comes nor sees the problem,” Pawan Kumar added.

Residents say repeated complaints about roads, pipelines, and water quality have failed to prompt any sustained intervention.

Ageing pipelines

In East Vinod Nagar, the issue appears structural. Residents’ Welfare Association president Hira Rawat said the pipelines in the area are nearly four decades old and poorly maintained.

“The biggest problem is that the water line is attached to the sewerage line. As soon as the motor starts running, its chambers are rattled,” Rawat said.

“These chambers were built 40 years ago. No maintenance is done, no cement lining is added. Wherever people have taken connections, it has been left in disrepair. This is why dirty sewage water enters the water pipes again and again,” he explained.

Also read: Indore-like water contamination scare hits Bengaluru’s Lingarajapuram

Residents say the contamination worsens during the monsoon, when cases of jaundice and stomach infections spike across neighbourhoods.

Rising costs

Locals say the crisis is also draining household finances. Water filters and RO units fail due to the poor-quality supply, forcing families to buy drinking water daily.

Medical expenses add to the burden, with frequent cases of stomach infections, jaundice, and other water-borne diseases reported every year.

Residents claim complaints have reached the Delhi government, the Chief Minister’s Office, and even the Prime Minister’s Office, but no concrete response has followed.

Women residents of East Vinod Nagar recalled that ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP had promised to resolve the water crisis within two months. Nearly a year later, they say nothing has changed, with responsibility now being shifted to the water board.

Also read: Reckless urban growth under scanner as water quality of Hyderabad lakes plummets

As contaminated water continues to flow and complaints go unanswered, residents are left with a grim question — how long before Delhi’s ignored water crisis turns fatal, just like Indore?

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