Winter has arrived. The monsoon ended months ago. The Yamuna has retreated to its narrow seasonal flow. Yet in Shaheen Bagh, one of Delhi’s most well-known neighbourhoods, a crucial road continues to remain submerged under stagnant, foul-smelling sewage water.
What should be a regular neighbourhood street has turned into a permanent hazard—an open drain disguised as a road. For residents, this is no longer a seasonal inconvenience. It is a daily struggle that affects mobility, health, safety, and dignity.
A Road That Has Disappeared Under Dirty Water
Near Okhla’s N Block, a stretch of road over 100 metres long is completely covered in dark, stagnant water. Plastic waste, food leftovers, and an oily layer float on the surface. Beneath it lies a dangerous mix of broken road, open drains, and deep pits that are invisible to the eye.
Residents say this stretch has effectively become an open manhole.
“Several vehicles have broken down here in just the past few weeks,” said Shahzad Ali Idrisi, a resident of Shaheen Bagh. According to him, the drain has merged so completely with the flooded road that people can no longer tell where the road ends and the drain begins.
E-rickshaws have tipped over. Two-wheelers skid unexpectedly. Pedestrians lose balance. Injuries are frequent, and residents fear something worse is inevitable.
Daily Commute Turns Into a Risk Calculation
As bikes cautiously splash through the water, riders guess their way forward, hoping they do not slip into an unseen drain. Auto and e-rickshaw drivers often refuse to enter the stretch altogether. Many demand extra money to compensate for the risk to their vehicles.
Pedestrians hesitate at the edge of the flooded road, waiting, calculating, and often turning back.
Rida, a student from Abul Fazal Enclave, walks this route daily to reach her coaching centre. “I fear slipping every day,” she said. “The water is filthy. If someone falls, who will take responsibility?”
At night, the danger increases. With poor lighting and water covering the road surface, drivers worry about engine damage, brake failure, and sudden drops. As a result, the road has become usable mainly for SUVs and trucks with high ground clearance. Smaller cars simply avoid it.
A Lifeline Road for Thousands
On paper, this is just a local road. On the ground, it is one of Okhla’s most important connectors.
The road links Shaheen Bagh with the rest of Okhla and is used daily by thousands of people. Office-goers heading towards Kalindi Kunj, students walking to coaching centres, daily-wage workers travelling to markets, schoolchildren, and even funeral processions heading to the nearby burial ground depend on this stretch.
For women, children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities, crossing the road has become an obstacle course.
“This is no longer monsoon water,” said Shazia Khan, who lives in a nearby lane. “This water stays all year.”
Children Pay the Highest Price
Shazia has two children. Her daughter’s school bus stop is just across the road, near Jasola Puliya. What should be a two-minute walk has turned into a daily logistical challenge.
“I cannot send her alone,” Shazia said. “Every morning, I have to plan how she will cross, who will help her.”
Children often wade through dirty water to reach school or tuition classes. Their clothes get soaked, shoes are ruined, and parents worry constantly about infections.
Residents say prolonged exposure has led to recurring health issues. Children complain of itching and rashes. Fevers and stomach infections have become common. The stagnant water has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Police Station Nearby, Yet No Solution
Ironically, the Shaheen Bagh police station is located just metres from the flooded stretch. Residents say complaints have been made repeatedly to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, sometimes even by the police station itself.
Despite this, there has been no lasting solution.
Temporary repairs are carried out occasionally, but residents say they are cosmetic at best. The water recedes briefly, only to return and settle again.
Graveyard at Risk From Waterlogging
The problem goes beyond inconvenience and health. The Gore Ghabiran Muslim graveyard lies right next to the flooded road, and stagnant water collects against its boundary wall.
Mufti Abdul Raziq, the caretaker of the graveyard, said the situation is alarming. “The water builds up right against the wall,” he said. “I have informed the councillor and the MLA several times. Nothing has happened.”
Two years ago, a section of the graveyard wall collapsed after prolonged exposure to water. Repairs cost several lakhs of rupees, raised through community donations.
“Rebuilding is difficult every time,” Raziq said. “Each repair brings fresh expenses.”
Funeral processions are frequently forced to stop before reaching the gate. Since the procession is on foot, entering drain water breaks ritual purity. If the wall collapses again, graves themselves could be damaged.
“This is not just a road problem,” Raziq said. “It affects the dead as much as the living.”
Poor Drainage Design and Chronic Neglect
Local shopkeeper Akram Malik believes the issue lies in faulty drainage design combined with years of neglect.
“In some places, the road level is lower than the drain outlet,” he explained. “So water has nowhere to go.”
He added that before the monsoon, drain cleaning is often superficial. Silt is pushed to the roadside, and garbage is left behind. When it rains, all of it slides back into the drains, choking them again.
Once the drains are blocked, even a small amount of water has no exit, leading to prolonged waterlogging.
Residents Step In When Authorities Don’t
In the absence of permanent action, residents have repeatedly taken matters into their own hands.
During the monsoon in August, locals pooled money and collected Rs. 50,000 to hire private workers to clean the choked sewer. This was done after repeated appeals to the local MLA and councillor went unanswered.
Mohammad Anis, who helped organise the effort, said residents end up paying twice. “Once by wading through flooded streets. Then from our own pockets.”
Official Explanations and Blame-Shifting
According to Ram Raj Meena, Executive Engineer for Maintenance at MCD’s Central Zone, the issue is complicated by jurisdictional overlap.
“The drain here connects to the Jasola drain, which falls under the UP Irrigation and Water Resources department,” he said. He added that in unauthorised colonies, MCD’s role is limited, and complaints have been referred to the Delhi government’s Irrigation and Flood Control department.
MCD officials also pointed to civic behaviour as a contributing factor. They claim residents dump garbage, construction debris, and even furniture into drains, making desilting difficult in densely populated areas.
Former Congress MLA Asif Muhammad Khan and local councillor Ariba Khan, however, blamed flawed sewer planning by the current AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan. They alleged that excess water from the Okhla tank is being diverted into local drains beyond their capacity.
Amanatullah Khan said long-term work is planned but was delayed due to pollution-related construction restrictions in December. With those curbs now lifted, residents are still waiting for a clear timeline.
A Symbolic Irony for Shaheen Bagh
Shaheen Bagh is not just another neighbourhood. It became a national symbol during the women-led protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019–20. Images of elderly women reading the Constitution travelled across the country and beyond.
Residents cannot ignore the irony.
“The same place that once hosted lakhs in a peaceful, disciplined protest cannot secure a basic passable road today,” said Manzoor Ahmed.
Months after the monsoon, with no rain left to blame, the stagnant water has only deepened frustration. For women, children, the elderly, and even funeral processions, the cost is paid daily—in risk, discomfort, and loss of dignity.
Until authorities move beyond paperwork, blame games, and surface-level fixes, residents believe this road will remain what it is today: a pool of civic apathy.
