NEW DELHI: Water swallowed Jharoda Kalan and parts of Gitanjali Colony in southwest Delhi, turning what were once narrow village lanes into swirling, muddy rivers. People took shelter on a nearby flyover, from where they recorded videos of what were once their homes.
Also Read | Delhi on edge: Yamuna at 3rd highest level in 63 years; discharge from Hathnikund spells more troubleJharoda Kalan, a village near the Delhi-Haryana border, is known for its agricultural fields and traditional settlements but has seen rapid urbanization and is, therefore, a mix of old and developing Delhi. It houses the Delhi Police Training College and is linked by rural roads, along which Gitanjali Colony got deluged.
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In the lanes, bolting the doors proved useless as torrents of brown water smashed through courtyards and climbed the walls inch by inch. Families stumbled out, the water reaching beyond their knees, mothers balancing toddlers on one hip while carrying sacks of clothes and utensils on the other. "Paani bahut zyada hai," was the painful plaint everywhere.
Further afield, Mungeshpur was in particular distress. "This isn't rainwater. This is the water of negligence," muttered an angry Shivnath, 35, who waded to safety with his children on Tuesday night. "The Mungeshpur drain broke on Haryana's side, but nobody repaired it in time. By afternoon, the water had reached our waist; by evening, it was up to our chest. We left everything behind and ran."
The breach, caused by pressure from the Yamuna, was reported on Tuesday afternoon. By nightfall, the lowest-lying areas were submerged in 8ft of water. The colony, home to around 5,000 people, saw some 2,000 residents affected and displaced. By Wednesday, a municipal school nearby had been converted into a shelter. On the classroom floors, mats were spread out like patchwork; bags, wet clothes and pots lined the corners. Volunteers moved through the crowd distributing puri-sabzi and bottled water.
Municipal officials clarified that they had initiated rescue operations after flooding was reported in an unauthorised colony adjacent to Urban Extension Road II. "By evening 3,000 people had been shifted to the relief camp in a school. We have also made preparations at two community halls to accommodate more people," an MCD official said.
Rinku Devi, who shifted here with her family of five, fought back tears. "There was so much water we couldn't think of anything except getting out of the house. All our furniture, clothes and utensils are gone," she mumbled. Her neighbour, Abhay, summed up the loss bitterly: "Poora grihasti kharaab ho gaya." Standing beside him, Shanti added, "It wasn't just the drain breaking. The potholes accumulated water too. This is civic negligence as much as nature."
Local municipal councillor Amit Kharkhari said officials responded as soon as the breach was reported. "We evacuated people and set up the relief camp within hours. We are in touch with the Haryana govt, but the water flow is very heavy. Containing it will take time," he said.
"The damaged portion of Mungeshpur drain is being repaired under the supervision of Nasib Kumar, the sub-divisional magistrate of Bahadurgarh. The State Disaster Relief Force and the irrigation departments of Haryana and Delhi are also involved," said Swapnil Ravindra Patil, deputy commissioner, Jhajjar. "The repair work is now complete. Currently, work to strengthen the drain is going on."
The MCD official confirmed this. "There was flooding in Mungeshpur after leakage in the drain on the Haryana side and municipal staff extended all support to the authorities there until the drain was repaired," the official said.
Back in Jharoda Kalan, on the bigger street, tractors stood like floating lifeboats, loaded with important items ripped from the homes in great hurry. Police stood in the ankle-deep swirling water, trying to keep order. Boats of the National Disaster Response Force sliced through the lanes to reach families trapped on terraces. In one boat, a rescued pet dog sat placidly amid the chaos. Another struggle - the painstaking rebuilding of lives washed away overnight - will only begin once the waters recede.