South Delhi Gulmohar Park Contaminated Water Supply Djb Sewage Leak Illness

More than a week after residents of South Delhi s Gulmohar Park began complaining of foul-smelling and contaminated water supply in parts of the colony, the crisis has now spread across several lanes, with households reporting illness, hospitalisation and acut... More than a week after residents of South Delhi’s Gulmohar Park began complaining of foul-smelling and contaminated water supply in parts of the colony, the crisis has now spread across several lanes, with households reporting illness, hospitalisation and acute shortage of clean water. even as repair work by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) continues. According to residents, many families have stopped using piped water and are now dependent on DJB and private tankers as well as packaged drinking water. The latest crisis comes days after authorities inspected possible contamination points near Gate 2 and other parts of Gulmohar Park, developed in the early 1970s. Local MLA Satish Upadhyay – also the DJB vice-chairman – had earlier told The Indian Express that possible contamination sources included illegal makeshift toilets set up during construction activity behind some houses and an old pipeline near a drain close to Gate 2 that had not been properly sealed. Officials said the DJB later shifted focus to one of the colony’s primary inlet zones after localised corrective measures failed to resolve the issue. They added that excavation near an earlier cave-in site revealed stagnant contaminated water, which could lead to sewage ingress into old pipelines through damaged joints and seepage points. Premsingh Dhingra (85), a resident, said he and his wife had both fallen ill. “The water was very dirty. But we had been using RO for years, so we continued using the water to brush our teeth and take bath… I developed diarrhoea and had to be hospitalised,” he said. His 78-year-old wife, diagnosed with typhoid, is still in the hospital. “The water is still dirty and smelly. We are staying at our daughter’s place in Uday Park till the situation is fixed at Gulmohar Park. So many of my neighbours and acquaintances are sick,” he said. Another resident, Nitin Mantri, said the issue has affected many people in his household. “My mother has been unwell with diarrhoea. Our domestic help and my sister have also fallen sick,” he said. Residents said the crisis, which began last month in parts of Gulmohar Park, has triggered a severe water supply problem. With households shutting off DJB connections or draining underground tanks, demand for water tankers has increased. Dr Savitri Singh, vice-president of the Residents Welfare Association (RWA), said the RWA has had to prepare a roster to regulate requests for tankers. “A family is getting tanker supply after a minimum of two days since they requested for the same,” she said. According to residents, while DJB tankers are free, private suppliers are charging around Rs 5,000 per tanker. Singh also said that tanker access itself has become a challenge for several homes. “Those who have built tanks behind their homes cannot be reached by the DJB