For over five decades now,the residents of Jamia Nagar have been buying water to meet their daily needs. The area is one of the oldest unauthorised colonies in the Capital,and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is not mandated to provide water connections here. The residents,meanwhile,rely on private borewells and treated water provided by suppliers who have set up water treatment plants. This potable water,popularly known as RO-wala pani (RO water) comes in two forms covered cans for Rs 25 and uncovered cans for Rs 12,says Jalal,a vendor. DJB spokesperson Sanjam Chima says,The DJB cannot provide water to every colony that does not come under the government sanction. Supplying water requires a lot of investment and infrastructure. The DJB,however,goes out of its way to help residents of many unauthorised colonies. While the DJB reach is limited in the colony,private water suppliers have a thriving business here. There are around 15 such suppliers in Jamia Nagars Abul Fazal Enclave. The suppliers usually tie up with 10 to 12 vendors who carry 12 water cans of 20 litres each on a cart for distribution. On the last rung of the business ladder,the vendor makes a neat Rs 5,000 per month. I sell water to 15 houses and get 50 per cent commission for each cart, says Mohammad Sami,a vendor. Islam,a supplier,has been running a water treatment plant for a year now. The raw water for these plants comes through borewells. We usually get the machines assembled at the local market,and the total cost of installation comes to around Rs 3 to 4 lakh, he says. The main reason for the success of this business model is that the borewell water is not potable. We get water from the private borewells installed at different locations within the colony. But the groundwater is not potable. Those with money get water filters but the poor fetch water from the Okhla main market every day, says Sabiha,a resident of Abul Fazal Enclave. Residents say one can of water lasts them two days. We use this water for cooking and drinking purposes only because it is expensive. The rest of our needs are met by the water from the borewell, says Rizwana,a resident of Shaheen Bagh. Parvez Hashmi,the MLA from Okhla Assembly constituency,has set up several tanks in the colony to supply water from the main market,but the residents say supply from these tanks is erratic. According to them,water from these tanks is supplied for only four hours in the evening. (The reporters are students at the Express Institute of Media Studies)
