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Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Chandigarh's Maloya residents grapple with foul water crisis
Written by : Prisha Arora Residents of Maloya Colony in Chandigarh's Economically Weaker Section (EWS) housing cluster are battling a persistent crisis of contaminated water, prompting intervention from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has issued a notice to the Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner seeking a detailed report by June 27. Complaints about black, foul-smelling, and muddy water have been flooding in for weeks, with multiple families reporting illness, especially among children, due to consuming the supplied water. Santosh Kumar, 41, a factory labourer who lives with eight family members, described the water as 'completely black and muddy'. 'It smelled terrible. Even after boiling it, my children had been ill for nearly a week,' he said. 'Everyone in the house fell sick — my son had severe stomach problems. We still face skin issues like itching near the eyes.' Though he considered purchasing an RO filter, he said he had to redirect his savings toward his sister's upcoming wedding. 'There was some leakage, but even after they said it was fixed, the water didn't improve.' Ajit Kumar, a 35-year-old driver, said mornings in his home begin with a half-hour of flushing muddy water from the taps. 'Every morning at 6, the water starts coming. For the first half hour, it's muddy and smells horrible. We have to leave the tap running to flush it out, paani bohot barbaad hota hai,' he said. 'I told Mr. Dilawar and he said he'd inform someone, but nothing happened.' Ram Minister, 36, who lives with nine family members, said the water issues began around April 20. 'First, I got a fever and stomach issues. Then my wife and kids fell sick. We had no choice but to boil water. The Pradhan helped us and got the leakage fixed. Now, it's a little better, but the past month was very difficult.' A 45-year-old rickshaw puller, who requested anonymity, said both he and his wife fell seriously ill due to the contaminated supply. 'I try to buy Bisleri for my children, but it's too expensive. I can't afford RO or bottled water. Har insaan ko paani peene ka adhikaar hai. We are not even getting that,' he said. 'Despite repeated complaints, the problem continues. For 45 to 60 minutes every morning, we have to keep the tap open. Sometimes it improves, but then it turns muddy again.' Rajinder Kumar, 39, a small business owner living with six family members, said the situation has improved slightly. 'For the past five–seven days, the water has been cleaner. But it still turns muddy in the mornings. My children had fallen sick earlier, and we had no option but to boil the water before drinking.' Councillor Nirmala Devi of Ward 28 (Maloya), who is also the spokesperson for the Chandigarh Congress, was unavailable for comment. Her husband Dilawar, speaking on her behalf, said the water supply system had not yet been fully handed over to the Municipal Corporation. 'The implementation is still pending,' he said. 'We visited the booster and found clean water there. At the Housing Board, they said it's the MC's job. The MC said the Housing Board should handle it. Eventually, both chief engineers joined me, and we discovered a leakage in the pipeline.' Officials claim that the problem is now restricted to two–three buildings out of 13–14, and some repair work has been initiated. However, the absence of clear accountability has only deepened the frustration of residents. With the NHRC now directly involved, pressure is mounting on the authorities to implement a long-term, coordinated solution. Until then, the residents of Maloya continue to grapple with a basic, unmet necessity — the right to clean drinking water. (The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UT Cong takes out Jai Hind Yatra to salute country's armed forces
Chandigarh: In a resounding show of patriotism and gratitude, Chandigarh Congress Sunday took out a ' Jai Hind Yatra ' from Vikas Nagar in Mauli Jagran to thank the armed forces . It was led by Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and president of the party's UT unit, HS aim of the yatra was to express deep appreciation for the Indian Army 's decisive and courageous action against Pakistan, reinforcing the nation's faith in its armed forces and their unwavering commitment to protecting Indian citizens. The yatra witnessed enthusiastic participation from Congress workers, local residents, youth, and ex-servicemen, who joined together in chants of national pride, waving the tricolour and raising slogans to salute the valour of the Indian soldiers .Addressing the gathering, Tewari said, "The Indian Army once again proved that the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of our nation are in the most capable hands. Their resolute and effective action against aggression from across the border deserves not only our gratitude but our highest respect. Today, we stand united as a people to honour their bravery and sacrifice." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Over 5,000 homeless as Chandigarh administration razes 2,500 shanties in Janta Colony
As the Chandigarh administration conducted the demolition of nearly 2,500 shanties at Janta Colony on Tuesday, around 5,000 dwellers turned homeless. The demolition drive was conducted at 10 acres of prime government land, which was illegally occupied by the dwellers, in Sector 25. This land, as per Estate officials, is valued at around Rs 350 crore. Two weeks ago, the administration also demolished 1,000 makeshift structures in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area Phase 1, which saw encroachment of nearly six acres of prime land. The drive on Tuesday began at 5 am in the presence of nearly 1,500 police personnel and 1,500 officials from the municipal corporation and UT Estate Office. With the latest demolition, only two small slums — Shahpur in Sector 38 and another one in Sector 54 — remain, which the Chandigarh Administration also plans to take down soon. The UT administration has been working on making the city slum-free since the early 2000s. In 2006, it came up with a plan to replace slums with alternative housing. In 2013, it razed colony numbers 5 and 4 in 2022. These slums had occupied over 165 acres of government land. Apart from this, it had razed Mazdoor Colony, Kuldeep Colony, Pandit Colony, Nehru Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Kajheri Colony and Madrasi Colony over the years. 'Leaders had promised us rehabilitation' Sunita Chautala, a dweller at Sector 25, Janta Colony has been living here with her family for the last 20 years in the area. She mentioned how politicians made false promises of rehabilitation in exchange for votes. 'The local leaders used to come to us asking us to cast our vote for a party, and in return, we were promised that we would be allotted a dwelling unit in the city area as a part of the rehabilitation,' Chautala said. 'No one turned up today for our help while our houses were demolished. We are forced to move from here and live in a rented house.' Another resident Monu Devi, whose house was also demolished, said she had arrived in the area 25 years ago after she got married. She was living here with her in-laws. 'Last night (Monday), we had shifted to a rented property in Dhanas, which has a rent of Rs 5,000 per month. My husband is ill and I work as a maid in the city, earning Rs 10,000 per month. How does the administration think we will be able to survive on rent? Neither the administration nor any local political party came to help us,' Devi said. Sumit Kumar, who had been living in Janta Colony with his 11 family members, said, 'After our house has been demolished, we aren't able to find a house on rent. Since our family is big, the landlord says he cannot allow us to stay for a rent of Rs 7,000.' Sandeep Kumar, who works as a waiter in a hotel at Mohali, said, 'The government should have thought about allocating another space to us, before conducting the demolition.' Chandigarh Congress condemns demolition Chandigarh Congress has condemned the demolition, terming it a 'heartless act against the poor'. Party spokesperson Rajiv Sharma criticised the ' BJP -led administration' for 'neglecting' the welfare of economically weaker and middle-class residents via a lack of housing schemes in the last 11 years and 'continuous harassment' via penalties and taxes. Part president H S Lucky called the move 'utterly inhumane,' highlighting the plight of children, women, and the elderly left homeless. He demanded immediate rehabilitation for the affected families and urged the administration to act with compassion, rather than following what he termed as 'dictatorial and anti-people orders' of the BJP.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Urgent need to safeguard the Constitution: Cong
Chandigarh: Chandigarh Congress on Sunday organised two Samvidhan Sabha events at Sector 32 and Indira Colony, Manimajra. These gatherings were a part of the party's nationwide initiative to uphold constitutional values and advocate for inclusive governance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari along with Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee president H S Lucky, addressed large gatherings at both venues. The leaders emphasized the urgent need to safeguard the Constitution from systemic erosion and reaffirmed the party's unwavering commitment to social justice and equality. Speaking at Sector 32, Manish Tewari said, "The Constitution is the soul of our democracy. Any attempt to dilute its foundational principles is a direct attack on the very spirit of India. It is the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, that is relentlessly working to ensure that the rights of every citizen—particularly the marginalized—are protected and advanced." He also highlighted the party's recent push for a caste-based census , calling it a "historic corrective measure" that will help create data-driven policies for equitable distribution of resources. Addressing the gathering at Indira Colony, Lucky reiterated the importance of community awareness and grassroots mobilization. "The Samvidhan Sabha is a reminder to every Indian of their rights and duties. Rahul Gandhi's stand on the caste census shows our party's clarity of vision and commitment to transparency, representation, and justice for all sections of society."
