It almost came to water riot in VK

VASANT KUNJ: Frayed Nerves. Soaring Tempers. Blame it on the worsening water situation and the elusive monsoons. A water riot situation nearly erupted at Kishangarh in the Vasant Kunj area over sharing of water on Friday afternoon. According to residents, the fracas started when some people, allegedly without the Delhi Jal Board (DJB)''s permission, got engaged in digging work apparently to tap water from the supply line.
Umesh, a resident of the area said: "I had just stepped out of my house on Friday afternoon, when I saw some people digging a supply pipeline." A crowd soon gathered at the spot."When we questioned them, they started arguing with us," he added.
"Interestingly, these people were accompanied by an ex-MLA of the area. We asked him whether he had the requisite permission from DJB but he simply refused to listen. A heated argument followed, and finally, we had to call the police to calm the situation," said Surinder, another resident.
However, some residents allege police apathy over the entire episode. "Later, when we approached the police, they refused to do anything. They said that they would first check with the DJB," said a resident.
Surprisingly, even the DJB officials were clueless about the incident. "When we called up the local engineers, we found that they hadn''t issued orders regarding any digging work," said Surinder.
Meanwhile, some residents have complained that it''s a ploy to create a water riot kind of situation. "I''m sure it''s the handiwork of some anti-social elements, backed by local politicians to create disturbance in the colony. There are about 200 residents in the area and all of us have legal water and power connections. So there is no question of any attempt to tap water illegally," said another resident.
When contacted, DJB chief executive officer P K Tripathi said that he wasn''t aware of any such incident.
During peak summers, such incidents are commmon in Delhi. At a time when the city is reeling under a severe water crisis, more and more people are engaging in illegal tapping of water to fulfil their needs. According to DJB officials, this callous practice can mean severe disruptions in the supply mechanism of the city. Many a times, there have been water riots due to this huge demand-supply gap.
And there is nothing much that they can do, lament officials. "When we try to stop the residents from engaging themselves in such nefarious activities, they try to create a law and order situation," said an official. He also added "Whenever there is a tapping, supply is affected — the pressure drops and in some cases, people might not get water at all. Also, chances of contamination increases with leakages in the pipes caused as a result of tapping."