Delhi LG inspects city's worst-hit areas, drains after heavy rains

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena inspected the city's most severely affected areas and drainage systems to assess the damage caused by heavy rains, an official statement said on Saturday.

Urban Development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also visited East Kidwai Nagar and Golf Links to inspect the areas and resolve waterlogging issues despite these falling under the Central government-controlled NDMC, the Delhi government said in a statement.

He also discussed overflowing the Barapullah drain with the central government, which has directed the relevant agency to clean it. Plans are underway for a comprehensive roadmap to prevent future waterlogging, it said.

Accompanied by Chief Secretary cum Chairman NDMC, Commissioner MCD, Principal Secretary PWD, and other senior officials, Saxena inspected the drains at Taimur Nagar, Barapulla Drain, ITPO, Tilak Bridge, Kushak Nallah, Golf Links, and Bharti Nagar, it said.
 

During his visits, Saxena found all these drains heavily choked with garbage, debris, and sludge, leading to severe flooding in various parts of the city, the statement read.

At Taimur Nagar Drain, under the Municipal Corporation Department, Saxena observed that large quantities of silt and garbage deposits were preventing water from flowing freely, leading to significant flooding in areas such as Okhla, Taimur Nagar, Shaheen Bagh, Jasola, Bharat Nagar, Jamia Nagar, and nearby posh colonies like New Friends Colony and Maharani Bagh, it read.

At ITPO and Tilak Bridge drains, maintained by the Public Welfare Department, Saxena found similar clogged drains due to garbage and debris dumping, resulting in a backflow of water and flooding the entire stretch around ITO, it added.

Union Minister and East Delhi MP Harsh Malhotra and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj also accompanied the LG during his visits to their respective areas, the statement said.

Locals in Kushak Nallah, Golf Links, and Bharti Nagar also complained of choked drains and sewer lines, prompting the LG to direct New Delhi Municipal Committee officials to immediately desilt the drains and deploy additional pumps as needed to clear water logging during heavy rains.

Expressing his displeasure over the negligence, Saxena warned that any further oversight would be taken seriously and strict action would be taken against the responsible officials.

He also issued strict instructions to remove all garbage, debris, and sludge from the drains within three to four days and report the completion with photographic and video evidence.

Saxena further emphasised the importance of a comprehensive and fool-proof water drainage plan for the capital to avert future incidents of waterlogging.

He stressed the need for long-term strategies rather than ad-hoc crisis management measures, highlighting that his administration has prioritized monsoon preparedness since day one to ensure minimal inconvenience to the public.

Delhi will be on orange alert due to the heavy rain prediction for the next four days, the IMD said in its seven-day forecast.