The other major problem that the residents face is the lack of toilets. Public toilets open at 6 am and shut as early as 10 pm, forcing people to defecate in the open.
Kanhaiya Kumar, 17, has not only contracted deadly chikungunya but dengue as well in the recent past. If you are wondering what are the odds, the answer is that Kumar is a resident of Safeda Basti in east Delhi.
The illegal squatter settlement on the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land, which has been notified by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), has been facing issues of sanitation, including open drains and defecation, and water supply for years now. “Several diseases arise because of the lack of cleanliness in the area. The drains are not covered and the Municipal corporation works according to its will. The workers come once in two months to clean the drains but they simply sieve out the filth and leave it on the roads, making it difficult for us to even breathe,” said Anju Devi, a resident of Safeda Basti.
The other major problem that the residents face is the lack of toilets. Public toilets open at 6 am and shut as early as 10 pm, forcing people to defecate in the open.
“Toilets are our major concern. Also, septic tanks of the Community Toilet Complex (CTC) fill up frequently, leading to regular breakdowns. In addition, the water pumps are damaged, leading to irregular availability of water because of which the CTC remains shut most of the time. The women in the area have to use toilets early in the morning to avoid the morning rush of men and children,” another resident Sonu said.
The unpaved drains on the main access street add to the woes of the settlement dwellers. And the rest of the basti does not even have proper drainage network. The slum dwellers have covered the main drain which is right outside their houses with huge stones, but it obstructs the flow of water, leading to frequent water logging.
Many times during the monsoon season, water from the overflowing drains enters the homes. “There is no sewer line in the slum. Then there is the issue of non-availability of water as the supply is irregular, and the water pressure is also weak. Some people have even installed hand pumps,” Sonu said.
However, the condition of one of the lanes of the slum, is gradually improving, thanks to the initiative of the slum dwellers and NGO Cure India. Construction of sewer lines and toilets began nearly five years ago in this lane.
“People expressed willingness to build household toilets but lacked the technical know-how to fit a toilet in small homes with weak infrastructure. Also, they did not have sufficient resources,” said Pranav Singh, Urban Planner, Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence.
The NGO worked with the residents for socio-economic profiling. It also surveyed the feasibility assessment of the site from engineering point of view, mapping of entire area along with the houses and design development. The NGO set up an escrow account, explored project funding options and helped in the formalisation of community leaders into a registered body. Apart from these, it helped the residents in getting government NOCs — DUSIB for road cutting and laying of sewer line, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for connecting toilets to the existing sewer line and Police Department for construction activities).
While one half of the populace is slowly crawling towards normalcy, the other half is living in deplorable conditions.
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