DDA neglect leaves PM's flats for slum dwellers in ruins | Ground Report
Swabhiman Apartments in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar were constructed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious slum rehabilitation scheme — a flagship effort aimed at providing permanent housing and a life of dignity to thousands of families living in jhuggis. These flats, sold for ₹1,75,000 were projected as a transformative step toward inclusive urban development.
However, just weeks after moving in, many residents say the reality is far from what was promised. The buildings are plagued by broken lifts, leaking sewage pipes, poor drainage, and an irregular, salty water supply. The maintenance services — paid for in advance — are nearly non-existent. Dustbins haven't been provided, sanitation workers are absent, and garbage continues to pile up in corridors and stairwells. In some cases, sewage has entered homes, creating serious health hazards. Residents also report rising incidents of theft, blaming both inadequate security and poor lighting in common areas.
When complaints are raised, officials from the DDA, MCD, and Delhi Jal Board routinely shift responsibility, each claiming the area hasn’t been fully handed over or that the matter falls outside their jurisdiction. Meanwhile, residents — many elderly, women-led families, or daily wage earners — are left to climb multiple floors for water, live with blocked drains, and cook next to garbage and overflowing waste lines.
This ground report from Swabhiman Apartments shines a light on the growing disconnect between intention and implementation. The scheme’s vision — to offer slum dwellers a dignified life in clean, permanent housing — now hangs in limbo due to bureaucratic apathy, poor inter-departmental coordination, and lack of accountability.
So the question remains:
When a well-meaning housing scheme falters at the last mile, who will step in to ensure it actually changes lives? And who will answer to the people who believed in the promise?
