Delhi Ghazipur Stretches Flooded With Toxic Water Amid Civic Inaction And Monsoon
Ghazipur in East Delhi is grappling with a hazardous waterlogging crisis that has turned key arterial stretches along NH-9 into a toxic swamp. For over 10 days, sewage-laced monsoon water has submerged roads, paralysed traffic, shut down shops, and left residents and commuters stranded. As stinking floodwater seeps into buildings and water tanks, citizens allege government agencies have passed the buck, exposing deep flaws in urban flood preparedness and infrastructure planning in the national capital.
What began as a puddle after initial monsoon showers has now become a stagnant, disease-ridden canal of overflowing sewage and rainwater, enveloping vehicles, footpaths, and shops in a silent crisis. Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws have disappeared, unable to operate along the submerged road, while residents wade through waist-deep water or stay confined to their homes. Motorists who brave the stretch move with extreme caution, weaving around broken medians, often abandoning their vehicles mid-journey. From above, the view is both surreal and grim. Garbage swirls in floating islands, traffic lights blink into empty, flooded roads, and balconies offer front-row views of what residents describe as an ‘urban disaster’. Local housing societies are witnessing water seeping into basements and threatening drinking water tanks, prompting fears of contamination and waterborne disease outbreaks.
Locals allege that repeated appeals to the Public Works Department (PWD) have gone unanswered. While PWD officials insist the worst-affected portion does not fall under their jurisdiction, pointing fingers instead at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), residents say bureaucratic confusion has only worsened their plight. The absence of coordination between civic agencies in addressing one of the city’s most severe waterlogging hotspots underscores the systemic dysfunction plaguing urban governance. Business owners near Ghazipur mandi report devastating losses. Fruit and vegetable sellers have been unable to operate, as trucks cannot reach them. The CNG pump near the stretch remains shut, and local shops close early or avoid opening altogether due to footfall collapse and hygiene concerns. “We are being punished for a problem we did not create,” said a market trader, urging for immediate water removal and road restoration.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With the monsoon season only just beginning, citizens fear this crisis is a preview of what lies ahead. Meteorological forecasts predict more rainfall in the coming days, further deepening fears of prolonged flooding and civic paralysis. The Delhi government has repeatedly pledged monsoon preparedness, but on-ground realities suggest a stark mismatch between plans on paper and their implementation.
