TROUBLED WATERS

Delhi's Rekha Gupta government, which is still finding its feet, has been unbalanced by the heavy rains and the rising Yamuna

- BY BADAR BASHIR

Magan Lal was electrocuted during the Delhi floods of 2013.

He lost sensation in one arm and his job as an autorickshaw driver. More than a decade later, sitting in a makeshift shelter with his pug, the 70-year-old is reliving that nightmare; the streets are swollen with water again and his family has had to relocate.

"Our daily life is completely disrupted," said his son Sanjay. "We've been forced to leave our homes and are living in these open tents. Do you think women can stay here?"

With the Yamuna's water level rising because of Haryana releasing water at the Hathnikund barrage, along with incessant rains, the city's residents, especially those in low-lying areas, have had to vacate their homes, and are facing electricity disruptions and are finding commuting difficult.

The rains have made the ground slippery for a state government still finding its feet. “The safety and convenience of citizens is our topmost priority, and every possible assistance is being assured,” said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Her government has put up makeshift shelters for people alongside roads, is tracking the water levels round-the-clock and has used sandbags and pumps near the old Yamuna railway bridge to restrict the flow of water further into the city.

While Gupta has assured safety to the people, workers at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) complain of equipment shortage.

"It's most dirty once the floodwater recedes, which we have to clean, but we have no gloves, nothing," said Naresh Kumar. “What if we fall sick? We don’t have any medical cards or any kind of support." Added Anita: “We have no uniforms and even the brooms, at times, we have to buy ourselves.”