 "LG flags Minto Bridge drainage flaws, warns action if waterlogging recurs")
Noting that Minto Bridge is among the worst waterlogging sites in Delhi, Lt Governor V K Saxena on Saturday flagged technical flaws in the drainage system there and warned of strict action against engineers concerned in case the issue recurs, an official statement said.
Saxena inspected Delhi's chronic waterlogging sites - Indraprastha/WHO stretch, Railway underpass at Pul Prahladpur and Minto Bridge and instructed officials to make the water drainage system fool-proof.
Reviewing long-term solutions that have been placed at each of these sites to prevent waterlogging and flooding, Saxena said any negligence will be viewed seriously and action will be taken against the erring officials.
Saxena appreciated the work done at Indraprastha and Pul Prahladpur but 'expressed displeasure' at the water drainage system developed at Minto Bridge that is among the worst waterlogging sites in the capital, it said.
He flagged technical flaws in the drainage system developed at the site and warned that engineers concerned will be held responsible and strict action will be taken in case waterlogging takes place at the site, it added.
During the inspection, the LG was informed that a new underground pipeline has been installed to drain out the rainwater from Minto Bridge to Bhavbhuti Marg towards New Delhi Railway Station.
The new pipeline is connected to a bigger PWD drain. He was also informed that four pumps of 75 HP each have been automated at this site and with increasing level of water, the pumps automatically become operational, the statement said.
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He, however, pointed out that the single outlet was insufficient to drain out the huge quantity of water coming in from four heavy duty pumps installed at the site. Earlier, the entire water from Minto Bridge was diverted towards DDU Marg.
The LG was also unhappy with the garbage dumped in the sump at Minto Bridge and issued strict instructions to remove all garbage and sludge in three to four days and report it along with photographic and video evidences, the statement said.
At Indraprastha and Pul Prahladpur too, the LG directed officials to immediately remove all debris and sludge lying near the drains so that they do not flow back into the drains along with the rain water and further choke the drains, it said.
At each of these sites, Saxena instructed the engineers to ensure proper gradient of the new pipelines so as prevent the backflow of water from the bigger drains.
The LG first visited the IP-WHO stretch on ring road where four pumps of 100 HP each have been installed to clear the water from the roads and store it in a newly constructed sump adjacent to the Ring Road.
Further, the water from the sump will be channelized into the Yamuna through two separate underground pipelines of 650 meter length each that can collectively carry nearly five lakh liters of water. The entire mechanism to clear waterlogging was tested successfully during the heavy rains on June 30, the statement said.
The LG instructed officials to utilize the 5 lakh liters of water stored in these pipelines for greening purposes after the rainy season, the statement said.
At the railway underpass at Pul Prahladpur that witnesses nearly 5-6 feet deep waterlogging during the monsoon, the LG inspected the newly developed pumping station where six pumps of 100 HP capacity each have been installed to clear the overflowing water, it said.
At this location, the water pumped out from the road and collected in a 6-lakh litre capacity sump, will be channelized into an MCD sewer at a distance of 200 meters from the pumping station. The LG was informed that two pumps at this site have been made operational while the remaining pumps will be made functional within a week, it added.
Saxena has been regularly taking stock of monsoon preparedness measures by various agencies.
He has instructed officials to put in place a comprehensive plan comprising long term measures to deal with the problems of waterlogging rather than dealing with the issue in a 'Crisis Management Mode' as has been happening till now, it said.
He also stressed on devising long-term strategies to recharge Delhi's groundwater by using this surplus water.
He was accompanied by Delhi chief secretary and senior officials of various government departments and traffic police during the inspection.
Delhi received its first monsoon showers on Thursday morning which provided respite from the oppressive heat, but brought woes for commuters as they battled traffic snarls and waterlogging.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)