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The scorching heat, coupled with erratic power and water supply, is giving a tough time to the residents of DLF Phase I for the past one month. Irked residents have been complaining to the civic authorities, but no action has been taken so far. Residents allege that despite of being one of the most posh colonies of the city, it is deprived of even the basic amenities like water and power.
The apartments haven’t received water supply since Tuesday evening, despite the fact that the locality is directly connected to the water treatment plant at Basai run by the Haryana Urban Development Authority or HUDA.
The residents have taken the matter to their local MLA, Umesh Agarwal, the HUDA administrator, Yash Pal, and the deputy commissioner, but the agencies are busy playing the blame game. While HUDA is blaming the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam’s (DHVBN) for erratic power supply, others hold HUDA responsible for problems at the Basai plant. Agarwal though assured the residents on Wednesday that their problems would be resolved within a week.
Last month, a group of residents from upscale areas, such as DLF City, Ardee City, Sushant Lok and Sun City, staged a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s office to highlight the water and power crisis in their areas. About 80 residents assembled before the deputy commissioner’s office and staged a demonstration holding placards and banners, blaming the administration for not attending to their grievances. The department only made empty promises, and no good came of it.
“We are worst hit by the water crisis. With insufficient and sporadic water supply, residents are increasingly depending on private water tankers. It costs Rs1,500 for a day. We complained to the DC’s office on May 5, but no respite has come so far,” Samar Singh, a resident, told City Spidey.
The local councillor has pressed two water tankers into service, and one is being provided by the DLF, but it is still insufficient. “We have met the deputy commissioner, the HUDA administrator and officials of DHVBN, but they are busy blaming each other. No one has a solution to offer,” said RS Rathee, RWA president, DLF Qutab Enclave.
A DLF official confirmed that water scarcity has affected all the DLF phases. “Tankers are supplying water to the residents. We are dependent on the HUDA for water supply. And due to some electricity issues, no water is being supplied from the Basai plant,” he says.
Residents say they are barely able to manage their drinking needs, but daily activities, such as bathing, washing and other household chores, can’t be met with that supply.
Manmohan Wadhan, another resident of DLF Phase I, said, “Forty percent of the residents of S Block are suffering due to erratic water supply. Private colonies do not figure in HUDA’s priority list. More still, there is no coordination between the DHVBN and the HUDA. There are power-cuts, especially in the morning and in the evening -- just when we make the most use of water pumps.”
