Maa Anandamayee Marg: Sewage and the city a road to ruin

NEW DELHI: Maa Anandamayee Marg, or what’s left of it, looks more like a disaster zone than a city road. The stretch from Crown Plaza to the sanitary landfill at Tekhand, Okhla Phase-I, is soaked in a vile mix of drain water and chemicals. The stench is overpowering — standing still for even a minute is a challenge.“This area houses ESIC Hospital and offices of major brands, but not a single civic agency seems bothered,” said Ram Singh, a local resident. Just outside the hospital, auto drivers say the overflowing drain is directly linked to the landfill. “Itburst once due to pressure — now every spell of rain turns the road into a foulsmelling stream of landfill run-off,” one driver said.Navigating the cratered road is a daily gamble. “It’ll take a major accident for the authorities to act,” said Sudhir Sharma, a biker en route to Badarpur. “We’re riding through potholes filled with god knows what.”