After death over water scuffle, residents still live in panic in Delhi’s VVIP zone

But residents of the six narrow, parallel lanes here have to manage all their drinking and cooking needs from the two hours of supply — 5 am to 7 am — from one public tap.

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For Kashyap and residents of Sabzi Mandi, it’s been this way for 15 years now. Like most of his neighbours, his family of 15 shares that tap with at least 20 other families. Now, the same tap is used by residents of Peepal Wali Galli too, after the tap there broke in the violence following Dharmesh’s death.

“These days, the young boys can’t control their anger. A fight is a common scene when people collect water in the area. There have been several cases when disputes over water are resolved after police mediation. But nobody ever died before,” Kashyap says.

Dirty water suddenly gushes out of the tap, and 11-year-old Meenu rushes across, starts washing clothes. “What do we do? There is a scarcity of water even for domestic use and I can use the dirty water for washing,” she says.

Then, as soon as clean supply starts, she starts filling the buckets.

Meenu’s neighbour Jagdeesh Verma, who is a conductor with the DTC, says he has a water connection, but no drinking water supply. “For 18 months now, we have not received drinking water supply from the DJB (Delhi Jal Board), though they keep charging us. Last time, they billed us on June 21 this year and it shows pending amount as Rs 4,346. When we have not used the water, why pay for it,” says Verma.

He adds that though there is sufficient water available for domestic use, it is not fit for drinking. “We have a submersible water bore, but the water is not clean. We only use it for bathing and cleaning,” he says.

It’s 6.15 am now and a representative from each household in the lane is at the tap. All they want to discuss is the water problem and Dharmesh’s death. Among them is 52-year-old Anjana, Dharmesh’s neighbour. “My knees hurt and I have high blood sugar. Now, I am afraid I will be killed over water,” says Anjana.

She is scared because she’s not from this lane, she’s from Peepal Wali Galli. “People were angry after the death, so they broke the tap, now there is only a pipe there. We have to come here and so residents from two lanes now share one tap,” Anjana says.

Dharmesh’s neighbours in the colony come late. They were discussing his death and say they have arrived at a decision — ask the government to completely remove the tap considering the possibility of violence. “We are signing an application to the government. This is in inauspicious tap, we don’t want it anymore,” said a resident.

When contacted, authorities denied there was any shortage in the area while people’s representatives said they did not about the death on September 20.

DJB CEO SS Yadav said there was no shortage of water in Delhi. He said that in the Sabzi Mandi area, people have individual water connections at homes. “There is adequate water supply in Delhi. The problem is that people install domestic water booster pumps, which reduces the pressure of water supply to the houses which are at the tail end of the colony,” Yadav told The Indian Express.

This, Yadav said, leads to people installing illegal taps for drinking water at the entrance to the colony. “DJB has not installed a tap supplying drinking water for public use in Sabzi Mandi area as all people have water connections at their homes. The construction of the water tap is illegal,” he said.

The Congress councillor of the area, Guddi Devi Jatav, passed the buck to the MLA. “I have never heard of a death resulting from water-sharing problems in Delhi. I cannot do much on this issue. This is the MLA’s area,” she says.

AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar said, “I am not aware of the incident. I will look into it.”