New Delhi: South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday accused the Delhi government of failing to provide clean drinking water after one person died allegedly due to consumption of contaminated water in Rajokri locality.
SDMC mayor Sarita Chaudhary demanded immediate action against the officials concerned in Delhi Jal Board who were responsible for supplying water in Rajokari village in South West Delhi where one person died and over 40 people fell ill allegedly after consuming water.
"Delhi Jal Board functions under Delhi Government. The Chief Minister is chairperson of DJB. The government has failed to provide clean drinking water to the people," Chaudhary said.
She was speaking to reporters after visiting Rajokari. Villagers said over 48 people were admitted to hospital as they fell ill after consuming water supplied by DJB.
"Delhi government and its departments are regularly ignoring developmental works in rural areas," Chaudhary said during the visit in which she was accompanied by the zonal deputy commissioner, other officials of the corporation and the Delhi Jal Board.
"The water pipelines in Rajokari are at least 40-year-old and are in a dilapidated condition. Despite various complaints by the residents, no action has been taken by DJB," she said.
The DJB officials, however, denied the charges and said the person, Hira Lal, did not die due to consumption of contaminated water.
Accusing the Delhi government of neglecting villages, Chaudhary said, "The government is not concerned about developmental works in villages. The local MLA is also responsible for this."
The mayor also drew parallels with a similar incident reported from the NCERT colony on June 23 where two people had died and several others hospitalised after allegedly consuming contaminated water.
"The Delhi government and its departments didn`t learnt any lesson from that incident. The chief minister should take action against those responsible," she said.
PTI
