New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday announced a 21-day special campaign for cleaning civic infrastructure, including roads, drains and flyovers, and removing the beggars staying underneath the flyovers from there.
Following a visit to the New Delhi area, Verma held a meeting with officials and discussed the flood-prevention strategy, stressing that every department — from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Public Works Department (PWD) — is aligned in ensuring smooth execution.
“In the next 21 days, all of Delhi must be clean. Roadside debris, open drains, waterlogged areas — everything must be cleared. No dirty spots should remain. We will not let public money go waste,” Verma said.
He added that the chief minister, other ministers and officers are personally monitoring the work on the ground.
“Just cleaning inside the drain is not enough. Is the drain’s outfall clear? Is the level appropriate? Check all this. Otherwise, cleaning will not help and waterlogging will happen again during rains,” Verma told the officials.
The minister emphasised monitoring departmental mobile vans, super-sucker machines and pothole repairs.
“Track every van, follow up on every patchwork. Free Delhi from potholes. When I took charge, this was the first issue I addressed. Now, there must be visible action,” he said.
Earlier in the day, accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj, Verma reviewed the sewer-lines cleaning work and sump-well construction being carried out by the NDMC in the Golf Links area.
“We welcome the monsoon season with confidence this year. The city will be ready and residents will not have to suffer waterlogging like in the past,” Verma said.
He highlighted that an intensive de-silting drive is underway across Delhi to clear storm-water drains and prevent flooding.
“The government has set a clear target — all nallahs (drains) in Delhi will be de-silted and cleaned by May 30,” the PWD minister said.
A day after heavy rains and waterlogging across the city, Verma said the public has lost trust in the PWD.
“When roads are dug, they remain that way for months. Drain cleaning remains incomplete. People think of the PWD as a department where work gets stuck in files. This image must change. We all must work together to restore the department’s dignity,” the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Verma has directed the officials to clear the encroachments, garbage and beggars from under the flyovers and suggest ways for a better use of the spaces under these structures.
A day earlier, after the heavy rainfall in the city, the PWD received around 180 calls related to waterlogging. PTI SSM RC
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.