New Delhi: At the JJ colony of Khanpur, Rani Khandelwal has no water in her home for the fifth straight day. Dirty utensils are piling up and so are clothes for washing. Water shortage is not new in the slum area, which is part of Delhi's underbelly. It haunts the residents every summer. But what makes a difference is that Ms Khandelwal is struggling despite being the wife of the BJP candidate for the upcoming MCD elections.
"People say, 'you are politicians, at least you should be able to get water'. We have contacts and thus managed to bring a tank and make do for emergencies. Imagine the plight of the rest," says Ms Khandelwal.
Four lanes away, Brigraj Tiwari has water, but he has been presented with two separate bills for the same meter for the month of January to March. Despite the heat of high summer, he is doing the rounds of the Delhi Jal Board.
"They (the Aam Aadmi Party government) said no water bills, but my water bills have doubled and tripled. From Rs 200, I pay Rs 700 and more," said Mr Tiwai, a resident of Khanpur for 42 years.
So desperate is the situation, that almost every household has big tanks stationed outside the main door. These are meant to filled only when the tankers from the Delhi Jal Board comes round. But in absence of tankers, the water has to be paid for by the residents.
The slum dwellers are a big vote-bank. Voting percentages from this area is high and political parties know the residents are instrumental to victory. Promises, hence, come aplenty.
"Sanctions after sanctions have been given. But the BJP-ruled MCD is neck-deep in corruption... And with this corrupt money, they are fighting elections," said Dilip Pandey, the chief of AAP's Delhi unit.
A local who has spent four decades in this JJ colony, however say, governments keep changing now and then but people from slum clusters are always ignored. "They come to us only for votes," he said.
"People say, 'you are politicians, at least you should be able to get water'. We have contacts and thus managed to bring a tank and make do for emergencies. Imagine the plight of the rest," says Ms Khandelwal.
"They (the Aam Aadmi Party government) said no water bills, but my water bills have doubled and tripled. From Rs 200, I pay Rs 700 and more," said Mr Tiwai, a resident of Khanpur for 42 years.
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The slum dwellers are a big vote-bank. Voting percentages from this area is high and political parties know the residents are instrumental to victory. Promises, hence, come aplenty.
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A local who has spent four decades in this JJ colony, however say, governments keep changing now and then but people from slum clusters are always ignored. "They come to us only for votes," he said.
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