New Delhi: The children of Baljeet Nagar in Karol Bagh have to do a daily drill to reach the nearest main road. They have to scale a wall first. The wall, built by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), circles a primary school that is nearing completion. The new structure has cut off direct road access for several Baljeet Nagar households in ward 88. If they cannot scale the wall, the residents have to make long detours through narrow backlanes of the colony.When TOI asked about Baljeet Nagar, MCD did not officially clarify why it had built the wall without leaving an access option for the colony residents. Sources in the MCD said that the colony was unauthorised and some of the residents had built their homes on the land that was meant for the school. They said it was important to build the wall for the school’s security. For decades, the plot was both a playground and a community space for the residents. In 2021, however, the land was marked out for the govt primary school.The residents welcomed the move, hoping that their locality would finally see some development. But now, the boundary wall has sealed off 15 entry points, leaving them hemmed in.Nine houses that are the closest to the land are the most affected. “The door of our house facing the school was our only way out. With that blocked, we must park our bikes in the public park, which is unsafe,” said 32-year-old Anup Kumar. “I sent away my ailing mother to our village in Faridabad a few days back. If there’s any medical emergency, I don’t think anyone will be able to reach us on time,” he added.The narrow internal lanes have water pipelines sticking out of the ground, leaving little space for movement, let alone allowing an emergency vehicle in.Residents allege that authorities, including several councillors, had over the years repeatedly assured them of providing a 3-4-foot passageway around the school. “A few days ago, the deputy commissioner came here and told us the pathway would be retained. But that same day, under police supervision, the wall started getting made,” a resident said.“It’s not easy for me to climb this wall or walk a long distance through these narrow lanes,” said 72-year-old Chandra Dev Gupta, a heart patient. “Had they left just a 3-foot-wide area between the school and our homes as they had promised, there wouldn’t have been any problem.”An MCD source said that the land had always been earmarked for a school, and the colony in the surrounding area was unauthorised. “The houses have expanded on the plot of the school. We are just making sure that the boundary is built properly for the school.” The official added that the wall was essential for the safety of students.
