Heated discussions in MCD House over desilting of drains in Delhi

According to an official report by the civic body’s engineering wing, only 55% of MCD’s 700 larger drains (measuring more than four feet), have been desilted.

Thursday’s municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillors meeting saw heated discussions regarding the slow progress of monsoon preparations and the blame game over delays in meeting desilting targets with the monsoon season imminent.

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi and MCD commissioner Gyanesh Bharti at the House meeting at the Civic Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

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According to an official report by the civic body’s engineering wing, only 55% of MCD’s 700 larger drains (measuring more than four feet), spanning over 453 km length, have been desilted. Additionally, of the 20,884 smaller drains, which spread over 6,657 km, approximately 72% have been desilted, ahead of the initial June 15 deadline.

Former Keshavpuram councillor and house leader, Yogesh Verma, criticised the sluggish desilting work, attributing it to a failure on the part of the corporation to prepare for the monsoon season. “Every year, we would nearly complete desilting by mid-June, but now, only 55% complete desilting shows a failure on the part of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). All these smaller drains have their outfall in choked drains and sewer lines managed by the public works department (PWD) and Delhi Jal Board,” said Verma.

In response, mayor Shelly Oberoi assured that division-wise plans are in place to tackle waterlogging, following coordination meetings with all other drain owning agencies. Ravinder Bharadwaj, a former standing committee member and AAP councillor from Aman Vihar, defended the AAP administration, saying that they are undertaking “unprecedented” work to address long-standing issues.

The MCD executive wing’s report on monsoon preparation revealed plans to operationalise 12 zonal control rooms from June 15 to handle waterlogging complaints. “People can file complaints on the toll free numbers 155304 and 155305. In addition, squads of eight to ten sanitation workers will be formed in every ward to tackle waterlogging by clearing bellmouths and gratings. MCD has also deployed 72 permanent pumps and 480 mobile pumping sets to aid in the effort,” the report says.

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The house leader, Mukesh Goyal, criticised the Opposition for politicising the issue instead of focusing on the preparation for the monsoon. “The government and MCD will no longer fight and we will overcome the failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led MCD over the last 15 years,” said Goyal.