Downpour lays bare ‘world-class’ claims at East Kidwai Nagar redevelopment project

The project was executed by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) and was lauded for its promise to deliver 4,608 modern dwelling units to government servants and officers.

On Saturday evening though, government officers were seen draining water out of their cars, which had been submerged for the past 24 hours.

“Did you know that the Defence Secretary’s roof has collapsed?” an officer remarked, holding a bucket to drain greenish water from inside his vehicle.

“The cars have been soaking in water since last night…this is not the type of facility we expect at a government quarter that promises world-class amenities,” said Kavita, a government officer’s wife. “This is a significant planning failure. We have a public redressal system, but no announcement was made that water had started entering the parking space,” she added. Her son noted, “The houses in many towers have started showing cracks…”

An officer from the environment department said, “We talk about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, but our own houses are left dirty after heavy rainfall.”

“Due to the waterlogging, the lifts in most buildings have been shut down. In one tower where the lift was still functioning, someone suffered mild electrocution,” said Eddison John, a resident.

“These are 14-storey buildings, but we have been climbing up and down every time. An elderly person from the 12th floor had to be taken to the hospital due to a health emergency,” he added.

Another government employee said, “We cannot complain because government officers have conduct rules, but does this mean we have to put up with these issues in silence?”

Kusum Sharma, an officer’s wife and teacher, said, “We called for cranes to remove our cars but they told us the basement cannot be accessed through them. We then paid the maintenance staff Rs 1,500 to manually push our cars out of the waterlogged area.”