Delhi Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Parvesh Verma on Thursday directed officials to ensure that no encroachment blocks the flow of water in drains.
Verma, who was on a visit in the Mehrauli Assembly constituency, inspected several locations known for repeated waterlogging and drainage concerns."Our message is clear -- no excuse will be tolerated. Every department must work in perfect coordination, and every drain must be desilted, cleared and ready before the rains arrive. We owe this urgency to the people of Delhi," Verma said.
The minister visited the four drains -- near Saket Gurudwara, Dargah Mehrauli, Moti Lal Nehru Camp and the near Kusumpur Pahadi Qutub Institute Area.The national capital’s drainage system had been ignored for over a decade, with no major sewer-line project initiated in the last 10 years, he said, adding that the lack of long-term planning has worsened the problem of urban flooding in several parts of Delhi.
He further directed officials to complete desilting of all five sites by June 15 and deployment of rapid response teams during heavy rain alerts as monsoon preparedness plans.The Delhi government has identified more than 200 vulnerable drainage points across the city, which are being monitored on a weekly-basis to track progress.
Pertinently, in April this year Delhi High Court while hearing in a related matter directed the removal of structures blocking a drain in southeast Delhi and said it was a "shame" that people lived in such conditions in the national capital.With monsoon expected by June, a special bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet PS Arora said that it is important to remove blockages and clear the Taimoor Nagar drain to avoid "flooding" in the area.
"It is a shame that we are living in Delhi in this condition. Monsoon is expected soon. Anything, including jhuggi jhopri clusters and colonies, which comes in the way of the free flow of water in the drain, will be removed. This drain has to be cleaned and laid within the next one month," the bench had noted then, directing a senior Delhi govt official to convene a meeting with all agencies concerned.
The court stressed that a colony along a drain could not be regularised while reviewing a topographical survey and alignment plan of the drain submitted by the chairperson of the special task force (STF). The bench found "substantial unauthorised encroachment" in the entire width of the drain owing to the "complete neglect" by the authorities, including the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and Delhi Jal Board.
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