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<p id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>ISLAMABAD: Neighborhoods of India&rsquo;s capital were submerged in sewage-contaminated water this week following heavy rainfall, triggering widespread criticism over urban infrastructure and governance failures in New Delhi.</strong></span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Residents shared images and videos on social media showing overflowing drains, waterlogged streets and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-major-cities-grapple-with-pollution-and-failing-infrastructure-reports" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">sewage entering residential areas</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, raising concerns about public health and basic sanitation in the national capital.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Reacting to the situation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the daily life of an average Indian had turned into &ldquo;hell,&rdquo; accusing the system of collapsing under political greed and neglect.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/3b3cd94b-b750-48b6-a593-02a1ed8a556b.png" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In a post on X, he warned that public acceptance of decay had turned urban breakdown into a &ldquo;new normal,&rdquo; and urged citizens to demand accountability.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Congress spokesperson Alok Sharma blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the crisis, highlighting its long control over key governing bodies in Delhi, including the municipal corporation, the federal government and the lieutenant governor&rsquo;s office.</span></p><div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; 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font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&ldquo;This is India&rsquo;s national capital,&rdquo; Sharma said, adding that years of BJP rule had failed to deliver basic civic services.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Others echoed the criticism. Academic Gagan Pratap questioned Delhi&rsquo;s status as the capital of a projected multi-trillion-dollar economy, claiming that much of the city was in poor condition.&nbsp;</span></p><div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 826px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2013910025279037533&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=38be46d337dc7bbad88c587e61089ffa162d3f4a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Journalist Natasha Awhad criticized voters for repeatedly supporting the ruling party despite worsening living conditions.</span></p><div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 947px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014201232005677181&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=38be46d337dc7bbad88c587e61089ffa162d3f4a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Not all reactions focused on the BJP. Social media commentator Saket accused the Congress of downplaying the role of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), arguing that regional political rivalries had also contributed to governance failures in Delhi.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The sewage flooding has once again exposed chronic infrastructure weaknesses in India&rsquo;s capital, as authorities face mounting pressure to address drainage systems, sanitation and urban planning challenges.</span></p>

NEW DELHI: A man searches for usable items in the Yamuna River amid dense smog in New Delhi on December 20, 2025. (AFP/File)

Articles tagged with "India's capital New Delhi"

Indian capital’s neighborhoods flooded with sewage water, sparks backlash