Families living in lane number 200 of Jahangirpuri’s B Block had always stepped inside their homes with muddy shoes. Dirty water overflowing from clogged drains along the lane would meander down, making its way inside the homes of those living on the ground floor. With the onset of
SEWA’s land rights programme in Jahangirpuri in late 2019, the local community leaders i.e. aagevans identified that the drains weren’t properly built and the waste collection system was irregular, leading to inadequate and contaminated drinking water. The Aagevans conducted an awareness drive in the settlement with the objective of educating the female residents of their land entitlements, including basic understanding of urban governance. In December 2019, Saira Ben wrote an application on behalf of the women residents to the Ward Councilor of the municipal body of North Delhi outlining the gaps in service delivery in the lane. A few days after the visit to the Councilor, sanitation workers arrived in the area and cleaned the clogged drains and cleared the lanes of stagnant water. “Our children can now safely play outside”, exclaimed most of the women.