Severe Water Crisis Hits Dakshinpuri In South Delhi, Residents Say Not Enough Water To Drink, Bathe DJB Reacts

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Dakshinpuri in the South Delhi region is among areas reeling under a severe water crisis as temperatures in the national capital soared past 45 degrees. Visuals shared on social media showed a row of empty buckets lined up in the area, while residents complained of not receiving a water supply for months.

Delhi has been reeling under heatwave conditions over the past few days, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius in several areas, leading to heatstroke, extremely dry conditions, and warm nights.

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"This is Dakshinpuri in Ambedkar Nagar Sector-5. There is a severe water crisis here. Water does not come for months, and when it does, it is contaminated like sewage water...," a resident was quoted by IANS as saying.

According to the Times of India, around 5,000 residents across several blocks in Dakshinpuri are struggling with water scarcity.

Such is the severity of the water crisis in Dakshinpuri Block 10 that several domestic workers are having to request permission from employers to bathe at their workplaces, TOI reported.

Ishita, who works as a domestic help in Kalkaji, told TOI, "I somehow convinced the owners where I work to allow me to take a shower there." She added,“Sometimes I even take my younger sister along. But how long can this continue?”

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Meanwhile, Gurmeet Singh (30) was quoted as saying he hadn't had a proper bath for a week. "This is hard to believe, but it is the reality. We stink here, and in this weather, water is the most basic need," he said.

"Forget everything else, we do not even have enough water to drink. For how long will we keep buying water? We have already been purchasing it for more than a month," he told the newspaper.

The report claimed that the only relief for many residents is a tap at the Shree Shiv Krishan Mandir near their block. As soon as the supply starts in the evening, residents rush with drums, buckets and bottles, leading to chaos, it added.

Residents said the water is often dirty and black, but people still collet it so that it can at least be used in toilets.

Also Read | Desilting can ease India's water storage constraints and its rural water crisis 'DJB and the government are working round the clock'

A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official told TOI that, "Despite the reduced availability of raw water from upstream sources, DJB and the government are working round the clock to ensure minimum inconvenience to people."

"On average, approximately 6,500 tanker rounds are being carried out every day to ensure water reaches affected areas across Delhi. We are working on urgent solutions to improve the situation," the DJB official was quoted as saying.

Also Read | Delhi water crisis: Supply hit as production falls at Wazirabad and Chandrawal At least 200–250 kilos of fish die in Sanjay Lake

Trilokpuri's Sanjay Lake witnessed a heartbreaking sight as hundreds of dead fish were spotted floating on the shrinking water surface as the falling water level and lack of oxygen made survival for aquatic life impossible.

Describing the harrowing scene, a guard assigned for garden maintenance, Bhavesh Sarkar told PTI,“I came here this morning. We were called yesterday, but we could not come then. Today, I came at 9 am and saw that all the fish had died."

"This happened because of the lack of water. The water level is very low, and the water has become extremely hot due to the high temperature, which is why the fish are dying. There were at least 200–250 kilos of fish here," he said.

"We have removed some of them, and the rest will also be cleared by evening. It has been at least two-and-a-half to three months since water stopped coming here. I don't know what the issue is. Earlier, when water was available, we used to work here regularly. We have been working here for around six years," he added.

Dehydrated birds fall from skies

As the summer sun scorches rooftops and concrete lanes across Delhi, city veterinarians and animal rescuers told PTI that exhausted pigeons are dropping unconscious from the sky, dehydrated eagles are being picked up from roadsides and street animals are suffering from stomach toxicity.

Across the city, veterinarians and rescuers said that distress calls involving birds and stray animals suffering from dehydration, heat strokes, and infections have risen sharply over the past few weeks as prolonged dry conditions and extreme temperatures continue to batter Delhi and the NCR.

A veterinarian at Abhay Daanam Bird and Animal Hospital in the Delhi-NCR region said the facility is receiving nearly 20 bird cases daily linked to heat-related illnesses, marking around a 50 per cent rise in recent weeks.

"Most of the birds coming to us are pigeons. A large number of them are suffering from pigeon pox, an infection that spreads more during periods of extreme heat and poor conditions. We are also getting other kinds of birds, besides horses and cows that are being brought in with dehydration, heat strokes, and immovable conditions," he told PTI.

Pigeon pox is a viral disease affecting pigeons and other birds and causes lesions, weakness, and feeding difficulties. Experts said extreme heat, stress, and unhygienic surroundings often aggravate the spread of such infections.

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