Vasant Kunj's Deserted DDA Flats: A Cautionary Tale
A Lonely Landscape in South Delhi
New Delhi: A stroll through Sector E in Vasant Kunj, South Delhi, reveals a haunting sight - rows of vacant flats, part of the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) prestigious 2008 housing scheme. This sprawling area, comprising nearly 800 DDA flats, is home to only about 50 families, who are still clinging to their dream homes.
Unfulfilled Promises: Basic Amenities Lacking
Astonishingly, the DDA has failed to provide fundamental amenities like water and electricity, even three years after the allotment of these flats. Residents are forced to buy drinking water, as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has expressed its inability to supply water.
Residents' Plight
- Harish Chand, a resident of Pocket 2, Sector E, battles the harsh realities of living in an almost deserted area. With no neighbors, his flat has been robbed, and electric wires hang precariously. Taps run dry, forcing him to rely on water from tankers and tube wells.
'When we complained to DDA about the lack of water, we were directly told that DJB cannot supply water. We have been surviving on water from tankers and tube wells. We are barely surviving as just 50-odd families live here. But we still have to buy drinking water. Pipelines are broken, there's no impression of maintenance, DDA had just refused to act on it.' - Harish Chand
- Manoj Jain, who lives in Punjabi Bagh but owns a flat in Vasant Kunj, has faced electricity meter tampering, resulting in overblown power bills.
'I keep coming back to check my flat, the lock outside my flat has been broken, and my electricity meter has been tampered. I realized this when I got an overblown power bill this month.' - Manoj Jain
- Rajesh Kayala, another resident, highlights the security threat posed by parked trucks due to the lack of an approach road.
'I moved into my flat a month back, and there are trucks parked there which creates a security threat.' - Rajesh Kayala
DDA's Response
- Claims construction of the approach road will commence within a month.
- Has proposed tenders to provide RO water to the flats.
- Currently sending water tankers to the area, as per a DDA official.