NEW DELHI: It’s been a mixed bag five years for residents of Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. While saddled with urban issues in the form of broken and water-logged roads and lanes, overflowing drains and poor connectivity, they have also derived the benefits of free electricity, of up to 200 units, improved water supply from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and doorstep delivery of services.
Hence, it’s safe to say the voters of Sangam Vihar are in a dilemma which way to go; come polling day on February 8.
AAP again?
Seen as the largest of the city’s unauthorised colonies, Sangam Vihar voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008. However, the tide turned in 2013, as Dinesh Mohaniya of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wrested the seat from the BJP. Also the vice-chairperson of the DJB, Mohaniya repeated the feat in 2015 and is now bidding for a fresh term in the House.
He is up against SCL Gupta of Janata Dal (United), a poll ally of the BJP, and Poonam Azad of the Congress. The latter is the wife of Congress leader Kirti Azad.
However, the mood in the constituency doesn’t seem to favour his bid to score a hat-trick this time. “If one talks about the work done in this constituency, then AAP certainly won’t be the preferred choice of voters. However, if one talks about the city in general, then one has to acknowledge the changes that the ruling party ushered in over the last five years,” Praveen Kumar, a resident of Sangam Vihar, said.
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Will regularisation work?
Residents said they were chuffed to bits when the central government cleared the proposal to accord long-due ownership rights to residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies in the city.
“Once we have our properties registered, the rates of plots would go up. It would also enable us to apply for loans. Banks are often unwilling to sanction home loans on purchasing land in such colonies,” Prabhat Mishra, a resident of Gali No. 5 of C Block, said.
However, it wasn’t long before the initial delight at the colony announcement gave way to apprehension. Many believe that regularisation would take time to fructify, as several locals have added floors to their houses, which the DDA Master Plan doesn’t provide for. Some believe local industries, mostly stitching units, could be hurt in the event of regularisation.
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“Small factories will have to shut down, as there are no rules of operating them. After regularisation, many of these units might have to be shifted,” Jai Shankar, a resident of K Block, said.
Local issues
Local issues, said residents, could be the key the determining the poll outcome of this constituency. “While there are e-rickshaws aplenty for a ride from Mehrauli to Badarpur Road, locals said it is the only mode of transport available. “Auto drivers refuse to go inside lanes, and, even if they are willing, they will charge more,” said Bharti, who works in a beauty parlour.
While sewer lines were laid some months back, they have resulted in fresh trouble in the form of waterlogging. On a visit to Ratiya Marg at Sangam Vihar, this correspondent found extensive waterlogging from the rain the day earlier.
“The sewage run-off floods roads whenever it rains,” Bharti said.