New Delhi: The stench hits you even before you spot the garbage dump and the open urinal on a narrow street near Rachit Gupta’s 99-year-old home in Old Delhi’s Sitaram Bazar.Calling the area “unlivable”, Gupta, 46, said he can’t even use his balcony, let alone enter his home without a handkerchief covering his nose.
Earlier this month, Delhi High Court came to his and his elderly mother’s rescue, directing Municipal Corporation of Delhi to demolish the garbage dump and the urinal within four weeks and asking it to arrange a covered dustbin for dry and wet waste at a “distance” from the petitioner’s home.While Gupta, who is a lawyer, is relieved that his one-and-a-half-year legal battle has borne fruit, the order has triggered sharp division among locals.While some backed the demolition, saying the foul smell and unhygienic conditions make it embarrassing to invite guests home, others are opposed to the move.Ismail, an ironsmith who lives opposite Gupta’s house, said there are only two public toilets in the entire area. “Many locals depend on this urinal (which is set to be razed) as they don’t have toilets in their houses. Demolishing it without providing an immediate alternative will leave dozens of residents without access to a toilet,” he said.Tensions have reportedly escalated, with the petitioner alleging that some residents have threatened to defecate on the street or outside his house if the urinal is removed. Those opposing the demolition maintain that although the toilet is poorly maintained, it remains a necessity due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure in the area.Gupta said some residents from nearby houses throw garbage from their balconies into the bin, causing waste to spill onto the road. He claimed that the condition has persisted for years and that he had repeatedly written to the civic body before finally approaching the court in 2024. He also said that a similar structure had earlier been demolished by his father, but it was rebuilt.MCD officials visited the site on Monday, Gupta said. An official told PTI that the civic body is examining the court order.
