The photo story shows the civic amenities issue of Qawwalon ki Basti

1. „Qawwalon ki Basti‟, a small community of musicians live in oblivion on the busy lanes
of Connaught Place, a major commercial hub in the city of New Delhi.

2. The basti situated at Panchkuiyan Road is known among the local people as near to the
„Andh Vidyalaya‟ (Institution for the Blind). The school is located at the entrance of the
colony.

3. The artists at the colony, many of whom have their names in the Guinness Book of
World Records and performed in various places like Dubai, United States and Egypt live
in dingy homes and squalid conditions.

4. The colony that came into existence 40 years back was a graveyard before musicians
started settling here, says the Pradhan (Head) of the colony, Mr.Sarfaraz Pradhan.
Except few houses of the more famous musicians at the colony, most of the people live in
makeshift camps.

5. Jameela Khatun prepares roti for the family on an electric heater outside her shack.
Most of the houses lack a proper kitchen space. Women are not allowed to work outside.
They mostly do the household chores.

6. The road to the basti is full of potholes. Open drainage is one of the major issues faced
by the residents here.

7. Mr. Arun Mishra, Public Relations Officer, NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) says,
“We have provided electricity to the colony on humanitarian grounds but the supply can
be terminated at any moment.” The residents however claim that they have not been
provided with any electricity meter despite repeated requests.

8. The residents get free power supply due to the absence of electricity meters. Unprotected
and entangled electricity wires pose a danger to the people living around especially the
children at the colony.

9. The garbage is often dumped outside the colony in open despite the notice issued by the
Public Works Department. The residents remorse that their basti is not visited by any
garbage collector or sweeper due to the anonymity of the colony.

10. Most of the artists at the colony state that they have palatial houses at Shahpur village,
Uttar Pradesh. They live in the basti for their means of livelihood. They lack which is
absent in their native village. While the officials claim that the basti is an encroached
area, the residents stick to the land on religious grounds.