Dwarka: Iron present in grills in road dividers, in manhole covers, boundary walls of parks, and park benches is on target of the suspected drug addicts and anti-social elements in Dwarka who are stealing them. Closer attention would reveal portions of the walls and grills missing in parks and at chowks around the sub-city. The suspected drug addicts and anti-socials have also targeted the grills of dividers on the roads. This can be witnessed in sector 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23.
.jpg)
Working in the field of alleviating drug abuse in the community, the general secretary of Sahaj Sambhav, a rehabilitation centre in Dwarka, Rekha Jhingan says, “I have come across many such children during rehabilitation. They are of 10 years and above. They target the iron part of anything in a public place. They earn merely 20 to 100 rupees which are sufficient for them to buy dry dust or leather solution available in the market for 20 to 120 rupees. So in Dwarka, this problem is persistent as many places have iron grills or iron material at public places.”
Also read | Dwarka community participates in cycle rally
The authorities, as well as the community, are worried about the loss of public properties and the dark side of this reality that is the increase in drug addiction in Dwarka.
.jpg)
Namita Chaudhry, a social worker and general secretary of Choti Si Khushi, an organisation working with children says, "Theft of iron has multiple negative impacts on the society. On one hand, it is a loss of public property on the other hand it is damaging the youth from the underprivileged class. We have counseled many such children and many of them returned to normal life. In that way, we somehow helped the system and the society too. But we can take a small step. There is a need for a collective effort from the authorities and the community both.”
.jpg)
As per residents, the subject of theft of iron grills and drug addiction in children have been raised by social activists in police-public meetings but nothing effective has been done yet. Nothing has happened to check the theft of grills or to alleviate drug addiction in children.
Nidhi Gupta, a resident of Sector 10 says, “I can say that the theft of such things and drug addiction in kids is closely related. Police should make a mechanism so that such things could be controlled completely."
