Key Points:
A highly critical condition surrounds the Kirari locality in Delhi NCR, where sewage water is spread everywhere, on the roads and inside the houses. People are forced to live amidst a degrading atmosphere, constantly having to smell the unbearable stink caused by untreated sewage water.
Residents reported that they have to wear gumboots before stepping out, as the sewer lines laid in the area do not have a proper outlet. Many also complained of suffering injuries from falling and said it is almost impossible to eat food because of the huge stench.
Despite being 18 kms away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, residents say no government authority is addressing their concerns. Be it the MCD, the Delhi Government or the Union NDA Government, people continue to endure extreme difficulties with only temporary measures offered.
A highly critical condition surrounds the Kirari locality in New Delhi. The North-West area of the National Capital Territory (NCT) faces a severe environmental crisis. Sewage water is spread everywhere, on the roads and inside the houses. People are forced to live amidst such a degrading atmosphere, constantly having to smell the unbearable stink caused by the untreated sewage water. Cab drivers decline bookings from the place, local grocery shops are shut down, and people are forced to keep living in unhygienic circumstances.
This is a daily crisis faced by the residents of Sharma Enclave, a notified unauthorised colony in Kirari. These horrible conditions have been there for the last nine months. School children have to face immense difficulties in going to schools, residents constantly keep getting sick, having to live in such inhumane conditions, and many are forced to leave the place. It is indeed a tragedy that the area lies in the National Capital Territory, and the government has blinded its eyes towards the concerns of the people.
According to media outlets, several residents have reported having to wear gumboots before stepping out for any work. Speaking to the media, a resident said that the sewer lines laid in the area do not have a proper outlet, thus the sewage water spreads everywhere: ‘the place is like hell’. People have also complained that they have suffered from injuries from falling while walking in the area. Many residents told the media that it's almost impossible for them to eat food, because of the huge stench.
Kirari’s Sharma Enclave is merely 18 kms away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport – one of the busiest airports in the world. This raises crucial concerns that while the capital boasts of brilliant infrastructure, several areas are left to rot. Residents also say that no government authority is addressing their concerns, be it the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), the Delhi Government, or the Union NDA Government.
According to a report from The Indian Express, a resident, Kamla (33), described the excruciating situation she had to face back in November 2025, when she was pregnant. She said that when she went into labour, she couldn’t find a cab to drop her to the hospital, because all the app based services declined her requests. The report also mentions that one of her children got diarrhea. Kamla said that even after cleaning the floor regularly, the sewage water comes back inside the house.
The reason for the problem is the storage of waste around the area, from a nearby landfill. The huge amount of waste has led to the blockage of sewage from the sewer pipelines, which has caused the sewage water to be coagulated around the locality itself.
Anil Jha, AAP’s MLA from Kirari told the media on January 21, 2026 that the whole of Sharma Enclave area is surrounded by lands owned by Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Sewage water discharged from homes gets mixed on the aforementioned piece of land with rainwater, he added. He also mentioned that trucks carrying waste from the nearby Bhalswa Landfill have been arriving and unloading garbage in the area, which has caused the untreated water to push back into the colonies.
Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi has expressed his concerns, highlighting the hellish torment people have to face in Kirari. Sharing a news video clip of the area, he posted on X (January 21, 2026): “Every ordinary Indian's life has turned into a hellish torment just like this today. The system has sold out to those in power. Everyone pats each other on the back and together tramples the public underfoot. A pandemic of greed has spread across the country, with urban rot as its most terrifying face. Our society is dying because we've accepted this rot as the "New Normal" – numb, silent, indifferent. Demand accountability, or this rot will reach every doorstep.”
Devender Yadav, Delhi State Congress Committee, visited the area on January 21, 2026, and talked to the residents. Speaking to the media, he said that the place is a hell-hole, the administration has failed the residents and people have to endure extreme difficulties here.
Residents also reported that Delhi Government officials started to dump garbage on the roads, as a temporary measure so that people could at least walk. However, it is not an adequate step to address the ongoing situation. A report from The Times of India states that according to an official from the Delhi Government, two trunk drains are being developed to provide a permanent relief from the chronic waterlogging crisis.
The crisis in Kirari exposes a disturbing failure of governance, where residents are forced to pay the price for administrative negligence with their health, dignity, and livelihoods. As sewage water floods homes and lives remain disrupted for months, the government’s inaction raises a stark question of accountability in the nation’s capital.
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