AAP and BJP Trade Blame Over Waterlogging in Kirari’s Sharma Colony

New Delhi: The issue of waterlogging in Sharma Colony, Kirari, has triggered a blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Both parties have launched allegations against each other regarding the deteriorating living conditions in the area.

BJP Points Finger at AAP
Delhi government minister Pravesh Sahib Singh accused AAP leaders of exploiting unauthorized colonies for personal gain during their 11 years in power. He claimed that in colonies like Sharma Colony and 114 other areas in Outer Delhi, AAP legislators bought land at low prices, secured minimal government funding to lay partial sewer lines, and falsely marketed it as infrastructure development to inflate land value.

Singh highlighted that Sharma Colony, being a low-lying area, has faced waterlogging for over a decade. The minister added that previous AAP governments failed to implement proper drainage systems, exacerbating the problem.

Ongoing Government Efforts
The Delhi government is currently constructing a new drainage system in Kirari-Rithala to improve water outflow from Sharma Colony and other affected areas. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is carrying out the work, linking it to supplementary drains, while the Irrigation and Flood Control Department is building a trunk drain worth ₹220 crore to further support drainage in the region.

AAP Hits Back at BJP
AAP leaders, however, accused the BJP of deliberately worsening the situation. Delhi Pradesh President Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that DDA had been dumping garbage from the Bhalswa landfill into vacant plots near Sharma Colony over the last six to seven months, obstructing natural water drainage and causing severe waterlogging.

Bhardwaj raised questions to the LG and Delhi CM regarding the DDA’s actions, emphasizing that previously, the colony’s natural drainage ran through vacant plots, now blocked by garbage. He further accused the BJP of blaming the former AAP government instead of taking responsibility for current mismanagement.

Local AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha also criticized BJP minister Pravesh Verma for blaming 11-year-old AAP governance for the colony’s worsening conditions.

The dispute highlights the political tensions surrounding infrastructure and water management in Delhi’s unauthorized colonies, as residents continue to suffer from prolonged waterlogging.