Sheetla Colony residents struggle sewage, stench and civic mess

Residents of Sector 5’s Sheetla Colony said only the brave dare to step out, for every outing means navigating filth, stench, and civic breakdown.

Overflowing sewers, chronic waterlogging, gaping potholes, erratic power and water supply, and mountains of unattended garbage have trapped residents of Sector 5’s Sheetla Colony in what they describe as “virtual house arrest.” Locals said only the brave dare to step out, for every outing means navigating filth, stench, and civic breakdown.

Waterlogged street in Sheetla Colony near Shyam Chowk on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Repeated complaints, some even filed with the Chief Minister’s grievance window, have resulted in little more than cosmetic fixes. The deeper structural malaise, residents say, remains untouched.

“Nothing has changed in 15 years,” said Satveer Rana, a long-time resident. “During the monsoon, we are prisoners inside our own homes. The stench is unbearable, relatives stop visiting, and the resale value of our properties has collapsed. We keep pleading with authorities, but it’s like shouting into the void.”

Sinking in neglect

For residents, the list of grievances is long. Manhole covers are missing or broken. Sewers remain clogged and frequently overflow. Roads, riddled with craters, make even short journeys hazardous. Garbage collectors often fail to show up, despite residents paying monthly fees. Many households survive on erratic water supply, sometimes forced to buy from tankers run by what locals allege are “operators” controlling access.

“Sewer cleaning is erratic and the waste collectors often don’t turn up despite our payments. We pay for a service that is not provided consistently. Where does that money go? We have to clean drains ourselves at times,” said Suresh Yadav.

For shopkeepers like Mohammad Shamim, another reisdent, the crisis is economic as much as sanitary. “Customers avoid the area because of the smell and the filth. Business has dropped. We wake up to blocked drains and then spend hours trying to get help — usually to no avail.”

Even in dry weather, the lanes remain waterlogged. “Pipelines are outdated, dilapidated, and overburdened,” said resident Sumit Malik. “Population has increased, but the infrastructure hasn’t been upgraded. We face failure on every front, and no official is held accountable.”

Residents, however, pointed out that the problem is not just limited to the monsoon. “Even without heavy rain, the lanes stay waterlogged because the drains are choked,” explained Sumit Malik, who blamed outdated pipelines and decades of patchwork repairs.

Residents say the last major sewer and pipeline overhaul took place between 2009 and 2014. Since then, only piecemeal repairs have been attempted. The absence of a local pension office compounds the hardship: elderly residents must travel to the Mini Secretariat, often across broken roads with limited transport.

The fallout of the conditions is starting to get reflected in public health, residents alleged.

“The park and community centre are unusable; stray cattle, pigs and dogs roam freely there. The park has become a mosquito-breeding ground,” said Mohit Dalal. “In the last month, multiple cases of dengue have been reported from our area. The community centre has not hosted an event in years because it is in ruins.”

Arti Singh, a resident, warned that poor connectivity could have fatal consequences in emergencies. “It may take up to 30-40 minutes to reach the civil hospital with a patient in an ambulance because of bad roads and blockages,” she said. “How many lives are we willing to risk while the administration dithers?”

Tensions, residents alleged, have deepened with turf wars between municipal sanitation workers and private contractors. Each blames the other for missed garbage pickups. “Sometimes the contractors disappear; sometimes municipal staff don’t show up. Either way, waste piles up in the lanes until it rots,” said Rahul Saini, a resident.

Senior Congress leader Pankaj Dawar, after visiting the colony today, called the situation “a moral failure of governance.” “This is not just a sanitation problem. People are living amid filth, their health and livelihoods are being destroyed. We demand immediate remedial measures and a long-term infrastructure plan,” Dawar said.

Municipal vommissioner Pradeep Dahiya insisted work was underway. “Teams have been directed to prioritise drain cleaning, manhole repairs, and regular garbage collection. Coordination with water and electricity departments is being stepped up,” he said.

But for residents, assurances from civic officials have come to mean very little.

“We have heard such assurances before,” Satveer Rana said. “We need to see machines at work, persistent manpower on the drains, and a schedule that is followed. Otherwise, these are just words to calm us down.”

Meanwhile, life in Sheetla Colony continues in suspended animation. Parents keep children indoors when the stench worsens. Shopkeepers complain of vanishing customers. Elderly residents navigate crumbling lanes to claim pensions. Amid promises from politicians and circulars from officials, residents fear that without visible intervention, the colony will sink deeper into neglect.