New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena inspected the city’s most severely affected areas and drainage systems to assess the damage and oversee remedial measures after heavy rains lashed the city, an official statement said on Saturday.
The monsoon hit the national capital on Friday with its first rainfall, recording a very heavy 153.7 mm at Safdarjung in the three hours between 2.30 am and 5.30 am, according to the India Meteorological Department.
According to the statement, following his instructions to deal with the water-logging situation, LG Saxena visited key locations on Saturday.
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 water-logging.
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. PTI NSM HIG HIG HIG
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