Delhi floods: Rise in Yamuna's water level disrupts life, here's the ground reality of affected areas

Recently, the water of the Yamuna River in Delhi increased so much that the entire Yamuna Khadar got submerged. Khadar is the area that comes in the submergence area of the river. Hundreds of farming families in Delhi's Mayur Vihar khadar struggled after wading through neck-deep water, carrying some household items on their heads. When they came on the road, they were told that this is their 'relief rescue camp'. 

When the pictures reached the television screens through social media, the government woke up and some people were even evacuated by boat. 

For almost 10 days, these people have been living under self-made tents, government camps, and flyovers and are waiting for the Yamuna water to recede.

"Don't build a house on the shore after seeing my water receding,
I am the sea, I will come back." 

These lines fit in many contexts but for the farmers of Yamuna khadar, this is the reality of every year.

Kishun, who has given up cultivation of five bighas in Mayur Vihar Khadar, says that the water is depleting and that he will return in a day or two, but only God knows how much land will be left. Many other farmers including Kishun have also complained that they did not get help on time. They came out of the water on their own. Meanwhile, the water level of Yamuna has again crossed the danger mark.

On the way from Noida to Delhi, people are pitching tents under the flyover as soon as they cross the Hindon Cut Canal. These people lived in the low-lying areas behind Chilla Khadar, Mayur Vihar Khadar, and Akshardham Temple. However, most of the camps built on the Meerut Expressway in front of the Commonwealth Games Village have started getting empty. Somnath, who has been living under the Mayur Vihar flyover for a week, says that water comes every year but returns in a day or two, so we do not go out of Khadar. "This time also we felt the same, that is why we were there till the night of July 14," he said. At last, he came out walking in water up to his neck.

Why do people live in low-lying areas?

In the areas of Yamuna Khadar, farming has been done for a long time. Still, there are hundreds of farms on the sand here which have been submerged in the flood water. However, in the year 2015, the National Green Tribunal considered the farming here as poisonous and the farmers as encroachers. The result of this has been that the Delhi Development Authority has run bulldozers on the slums of these farmers several times. Notices have been put up on many slums to vacate them in time. 

However, the farmers again put up their tents there and start living. Government plantation has been done in some areas so that land has gone out of cultivation.

About one thousand hectares of land are cultivated in Yamuna Khadar in Delhi. Somnath, who came from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district and settled in Mayur Vihar Khadar, says, "We buy land here at the rate of Rs 10,000 per bigha annually. While giving the land, a promise is made that no problem will arise. When the bulldozer moves, the loss is ours, when there is a flood, our crop is ruined."

Some other farmers said that only people of a particular caste allot the fields here and make money. These people also take us to cast votes in elections. Ration cards have been made for the people here, and water board tankers bring water but there is no electricity in Khadar. Also, DDA and NGT say that this area is encroachment. Somnath says if it is illegal then how are we living here for so many years?

Posters of different parties are shining under the flyover outside Mayur Vihar Extension Metro. Ticket holders have also put the name of the ward number, assembly, or Lok Sabha constituency on the posters and banners according to their plans. A worker standing under the banner of a party that is distributing food other than NGO said in a light-hearted manner we are from a certain party, we are giving food, now don't vote for the other party.

Sarojini, 65, says that now we will not vote for anyone. He says, "When the water came, there was no one to take us out. We are not educated enough to know everything. My son made dozens of rounds with the goat and household items. Every time while leaving, we used to feel that we might drown. Now come to ask for votes, we will drive them away. Why vote when we are illegal?" 

These farmers are suffering between environmental protection and Yamuna protection, but neither there is any mention of any plan for their rehabilitation nor there is any talk about the long term solution to this problem. The current situation is indicating that the governments are somehow trying to forget this flood chapter and move forward.

(With inputs from Nilesh Mishra)