Voting for Delhi Assembly elections is set to take place on February 5, while counting will be held on February 8. 

New Delhi: With the Delhi assembly elections set to take place on February 8, the residents of the national capital have raised concerns over a series of civic issues, including the dangerous pollution levels, poor road conditions, water quality, and poor infrastructure. With the elections three weeks away, freebies have taken over the election campaigns by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Although the BJP criticises it as ‘revadi’ politics, it has also not stepped back either. Neither has Congress.

As freebies vs. freebies dominate this election season in Delhi, it is worth looking over what the people of Delhi want and whether the freebies will sway them.

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Overflowing Landfills

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has three overused landfills at Ghazipur, Okhla, and Bhalswa. They have over 160 lakh tonnes of waste, with nearly 3,000-3,500 tonnes of fresh waste being dumped at Ghazipur and Bhalswa even now. Interestingly, at the time of the 2020 Delhi assembly polls, the Ghazipur landfill stood at a height of 65 meters. The iconic Qutub Minar is merely 8 meters taller.

PM Modi had said that the Ghazipur landfill had to be flattened in 2021. Notably, the BJP was at the helm of the MCD in 2021. Despite a budget of Rs 1,395.6 crore being allocated for the biomining of waste at the three landslides (under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0), the on-ground approach was dismal. The AAP criticised the BJP’s ineffective efforts to resolve the issue.

Efforts renewed after fresh promises made by Kejriwal in MCD elections in December 2022. But according to a municipal official, lack of political will accompanied by reluctance of the general public in segregating waste are the reasons for the slow progress.

While the BJP criticised AAP for failing to fulfil its electoral promises, the latter claimed that it had accomplished more in two years than what the BJP did in 15 years. Meanwhile, the Congress blamed both parties for pointing fingers instead of resolving the growing sanitation challenges. Struggles with managing the overflowing landfills, poor waste management, and growing respiratory diseases among those who reside near the landfills have made the electorate wary of the issue with no tangible measures in place.

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The Toxic Chamber Called Delhi

With every passing year, Delhites struggle to breathe fresh air. Gasping every winter, hoping for emergency measures to improve the pollution levels, the citizens of the national capital have long raised concerns over the dangerous air quality index. Delhi has become one of the cities in the world with the worst air quality. High levels of PM2.5 and PM10 have made the air poisonous to breathe.

The national capital of India is equivalent to a gas chamber. Thick layers of smog—a toxic combination of fog and smoke—shroudvthe skies of Delhi with barely anything visible around. Surpassing Pakistan’s Lahore, New Delhi became the most polluted city in the world with air quality at “hazardous” levels.

With no respite from the toxic air, the public is angry over the lack of actions and accountability by the authorities. One central figure under fire is the Environment Minister of India and BJP leader Bhupender Yadav who promoted The Sabarmati Report, and election campaigns as the capital’s AQI plummeted.

Lack of long-term solutions is a major cause of concern as climate change looms over. Many opt to move out of the city during winters.

Additionally, the foamy Yamuna River’s photos go viral every year. Kejriwal’s 2021 promise to clean the once-considered holy river by February 2025 remains unfulfilled. The river’s most polluted stretch, which runs for over 20 km through Delhi, was found to have the worst quality metrics in four years during December last year. Faecal coliform levels reached 8.4 million units. The permissible limit is 2500 units.

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Falling Infrastructure

Unplanned urbanisation has been a problem to prevent flood-like situations. Since a huge part of Delhi is unplanned, there is little room for rainwater to seep in during heavy rains. Delhi does not have an overall drainage master plan. The last drainage master plan was drafted by the Delhi administration in 1976.

North Delhi’s Seelampur faces struggles with contaminated water and poor road conditions. In Northeast Delhi’s Hardevpuri, narrow roads, a lack of green cover, and poor parking facilities, along with an inefficient drainage system, are huge problems for the residents. In Northwest Delhi, while there is electricity and clean water, the residents complain of potholes everywhere.

Major traffic congestion, drainage overflowing during monsoons, hanging wires and electrical poles near homes (posing severe safety risks), and decreasing green cover and thus increasing pollution levels—these are the many problems residents of Delhi are concerned over. And there seem to be no concrete plans or efforts to resolve them.

With several infrastructure challenges plaguing the capital, there is a question worth pondering over: Does Delhi lack the infrastructure needed for 3.3 crore people?

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Voting for Delhi Assembly elections is set to take place on February 5, while counting will be held on February 8. Delhi Assembly elections will witness a triangular fight between the BJPc, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP is aiming for a third consecutive term this time.