A two-day hunger strike called by Okhla Vihar residents over the worsening water crisis was called off a day ago. However, residents say there has been no relief so far, as the struggle to secure even a gallon of drinking water continues to disrupt their daily lives and work routines.
Mohammad Javed, a local resident who participated in a one-day sit-in followed by a two-day hunger strike, told the OT that while the hunger strike has ended, their struggle for water is far from over. “Residents have still not received any relief,” he said.
It is understood that the strike was called off after Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan sent his representatives to meet with the protesters and assured them that boring work to address the water shortage would begin soon. Also, he posted about it on his FB timeline with photos.
Water tankers have become lifeline in Okhla Vihar
Javed, however, expressed skepticism. “He has been making the same promise for the last three years, but nothing concrete has happened,” he said. “We will wait and watch. If needed, we might resume our peaceful protest again.”
For years, residents have struggled to access a basic human necessity: Clean water. It was three days ago when a peaceful sit-in was started near a local Okhla Vihar mosque. “We are sitting here since 5 pm, and tomorrow, after Maghrib prayers, we will begin an indefinite hunger strike,” one protester declared on day one of the protest, visibly agitated. “Even if it costs us our lives, we will not move until the water issue is resolved.”
“Water tankers have become a lifeline in Okhla Vihar. But they are expensive, irregular, and insufficient. Many families are forced to spend Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day on water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning. How can a man who earns Rs 400 a day afford to spend all of it on water? What will he feed his children? How will he send them to school?” said another resident Faiz, who was also sitting at the protest.
The anger of Okhla Vihar residents is particularly directed at the Okhla AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who has been elected three times from the area. Residents accuse him of failing to fulfil his promises. “Eight to ten years ago, we were told that piped water had reached Okhla Vihar. That was a lie,” said one man. “Even now, we’re being told, ‘a borewell will be installed in one month, two months.’ It’s all false assurances.”
As the hunger strike entered its third day, the situation turned critical. Elderly protesters began to collapse from exhaustion and dehydration. Zahid, one of the hunger strikers, who suffers from a heart condition, fainted. Doctors warned that continuing the strike could be life-threatening. “Tension, heat, and an empty stomach are a deadly combination,” said one attending physician.
Despite the gravity of the situation, no representative from the Delhi Jal Board, the MLA’s office, or any other government authority had visited the site by the third day. Volunteers pleaded for intervention, urging MLA Khan to at least visit and persuade the protestors to accept medical help.
For days the streets of Okhla Vihar were lined with posters reading “Pani Do, Zindagi Do” (Give us water, give us life). The frustration is palpable. Slogans were raised against Amanatullah Khan. “This isn’t a luxury demand,” said a young man. “Water is a basic human right. If we can’t get that, what is the point of having an MLA or a government?” As temperatures continue to soar and the standoff intensifies, the question remains: how many more days will it take for the government to act before lives are lost?
People being forced to buy water for drinking and other uses: Shahzad
“Not just water, even the sewer system has collapsed. The MLA has ruined all of Okhla. He should resign. The people here no longer want such an incompetent leader. People are being forced to buy water for drinking and other uses. The government-installed borewells are not working anymore,” said BJP leader Shahzad Ali, who also sat with residents on hunger strike.
Promises were made during the election that water supply would be restored, but those promises remain unfulfilled, said Faiz. “For the past two and a half to three years, there has been no water supply for daily household needs: Kitchen, bathroom, laundry,” he said.
“We are severely affected by the water crisis. In our street, tankers do come, but a few powerful people from the colony place their motor pipes directly into the tankers and fill their tanks. If someone else, a common person, comes with a bucket to collect water, they are stopped. They’re told the tanker was ordered privately. I live right in the next lane, next to the mosque. Poor people don’t get water. When the tankers arrive, these people plug in their pipes and draw all the water into their private tanks,” said a resident.
During the protest, former Congress Ward Councillor Shoaib Danish also visited the site. In videos that surfaced online, he was seen urging elderly residents to end their hunger strike. He stated that he had come in full support of the residents’ genuine demand for access to drinking water.
Water crisis in Okhla Vihar worsens during summer
The water crisis in Okhla Vihar worsens during the summer months when groundwater levels fall sharply, said Shakeel. “Things become unbearable during this season. Wealthier residents pool in money to arrange for expensive deep boring because regular boring doesn’t work in the rocky terrain. Poor and working-class families have no choice but to rely on water tankers and even then, there’s a huge rush. You have to wait the entire day, constantly check for tanker updates, and then stand in a long queue just to collect water,” he said.
Life has become especially difficult for many working-class couples, as both husband and wife spend most of their day just arranging drinking water. As a result, some residents said many tenants have started leaving Okhla Vihar due to the persistent water crisis, shifting to nearby areas like Shaheen Bagh and Abul Fazal Enclave.
Water has become a distant dream in Okhla Vihar. Residents have no idea how long their hardship will last, clinging only to the hope that one day, things will improve.
