Knee-Deep Drain Water Floods Barai Village Lane, Residents Fear Disease

The sanitation system has collapsed in Barai village of Baniyakhera block, where dirty drain water has filled the main lane and turned the interlocking road into what looks like a pond. The waterlogging has made it difficult for residents to move around, while the condition of the lane has raised concerns about the risk of illness among children and sparked anger in the village.

The situation has been reported from Barai village in Sambhal/Chandausi. The images from the village have raised questions over the claims of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Dirty water from the drains has accumulated in the main lane, covering the interlocking road. With the road submerged and the surroundings filled with dirt, residents are finding it difficult to walk through the area.

The water in the lane can be seen reaching knee level. The drains have not been cleaned, because of which the dirty water is flowing onto the road. Broken sections of the interlocking road, mud and stagnant water have made the situation even worse. The photographs show the extent of the waterlogging and the poor condition of the lane.

Residents say the accumulation of dirty water has led to a rise in mosquitoes. They say children are being forced to pass through the dirty water, creating a risk of dengue, malaria and skin diseases. Some children can also be seen sitting close to the filthy area in the photograph.

Villagers are angry over the condition and allege that they have complained several times to the village head and the secretary about the sanitation problem. However, they say that their complaints have not been heard. According to the residents, sanitation workers also do not visit the village regularly.

The villagers have demanded that the district administration immediately arrange for the drains to be cleaned and the water drainage system to be repaired. They say the stagnant water cannot be allowed to remain in the lane, particularly when children are being forced to cross the area.

The village is also facing a separate sanitation-related problem. Surrounded by dirt and thick bushes, the women’s sanitation complex built by the gram panchayat in Barai has remained locked since it was constructed. The complex has effectively become a “white elephant”, with no use being made of the facility despite the money spent on it.

The government is spending lakhs of rupees on spreading awareness about cleanliness in villages and on building sanitation complexes for women. However, in Barai gram panchayat of Baniyakhera block, the women’s sanitation complex is lying unused. Thick bushes and grass have grown around the building, while garbage is scattered at several places.

A large lock can be clearly seen hanging on the gate of the sanitation complex. The area in front of the building and its surroundings are covered with big bushes and overgrown grass. Waste is also lying around the premises. The walls carry slogans such as “शौच के बाद साबुन से हाथ धोएं” and “स्वच्छता की ओर एक कदम”, but the condition on the ground stands in sharp contrast to these messages.

The name of a caretaker and the opening hours are written on the complex. The timings mentioned are from 5 in the morning to 10 in the morning and from 4 in the evening to 8 in the evening. Villagers, however, allege that the complex never opens and that the caretaker exists only on paper.

Women in the village are still being forced to defecate in the open, according to the residents. Villagers said the complex, built at a cost of lakhs of rupees, is not being used at all. In the absence of maintenance, the building is gradually becoming dilapidated, and the plaster on its walls has started peeling off.

The names of the village head and the secretary are also written on the wall of the complex. This has led residents to question why so much money was spent if the toilet was to remain closed. They have also questioned where the money meant for the Swachh Bharat Mission is going.

The villagers have appealed to the District Magistrate of Sambhal to order an investigation into the matter, ensure that the women’s sanitation complex is opened immediately and take action against those responsible.

By Rajat Malhotra