In Delhi’s wholesale hub Sadar, choked drains and water inside shops

Outside the shop, hordes of workers could be seen carrying heavy packages on their heads, and backs or cycle rickshaws, trying to move the items to another location.

A little further along the road, an MCD official and a worker were trying to start a tractor, which wheeled in a pump to suck the water out from the area “The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has a permanent pump connected to the drains, to remove the water, in case it rains. But we received a call from the control room to speed up the process,” said the official.

On blocked drains, he said, ”The MCD does proper cleaning early in the morning. But the waste from the nearby factories clog the drains.”

Ajay Bajaj, Senior Advisor to the Confederation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association, too voiced his grievance. “This place is decades old. We help the government with our huge turnovers. And what do we get in return? Nothing.”

Bajaj claimed that a lack of stormwater drains caused the waterlogging, “How is it so hard to get drains across the area? We’ve been asking for this basic facility for years. But no one pays heed.”, said Bajaj.

Narender Kumar, 61, who runs a cargo unit, explained why Qutab Road, part of Sadar Bazar, is one of the most-affected parts. “This is a low-lying area compared to the rest of the bazaar. When it rains, water accumulates here due to lack of proper drains.”

The sun has set at the Bazaar. The MCD’s tractor came back to life after a coordinated effort by the officials and the traders. The sound of the pump sucking the water out emits a sigh of relief among the traders. But they knew, this relief is temporary; until the next time it rains.