Waterlogging persisting for about an hour after rain normal, says Delhi CM

The remarks on the issue come amid the BJP government’s ongoing works to prevent a waterlogging repeat this year. For the past two months, agencies such as PWD, MCD and I&FC, and NDMC have been carrying out cleaning and desilting of drains in the city

Waterlogging persisting for around an hour after rains is normal, the chief minister said on Wednesday, as “drainage systems or stormwater drains cannot absorb that much water all at once”.

Commuters wade through a severely waterlogged road after rainfall near Vikas Marg, at ITO in New Delhi last month.

However, if rainwater persists for a longer duration than that, drains will be checked for blockages, she said.

The CM’s remarks came while addressing concerns related to the annual waterlogging crisis in the city, especially during the monsoon rains.

“During rainfall...water accumulation is natural. There is no frying pan beneath the surface which will evaporate the water instantly. If the water clears out within 30 minutes to an hour, it’s natural. But if it takes longer, that’s when it becomes problematic. It may be due to a blockage, a narrow drain, or lack of connectivity, which will require inspection,” Gupta said.

The remarks on the issue come amid the BJP government’s ongoing works to prevent a waterlogging repeat this year. For the past two months, agencies such as PWD, MCD and I&FC, and NDMC have been carrying out cleaning and desilting of drains in the city, and at some places old stormwater pipelines have been changed. Leaders and officials have claimed that Delhi will not see waterlogging this year.

Since the onset of rains this year in the city, PWD and MCD has reportedly received several complaints of waterlogging in multiple areas. While it did not rain on Wednesday, on Tuesday, MCD said it received 14 waterlogging complaints from areas such as Vasant Kunj, Karampura, Bhalswa dairy, Rohini, Mukherjee Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Kirti Nagar and Naraina village.

The city saw 10.4mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Gupta denied claims of waterlogging near the infamous Minto Bridge during rainfall on Tuesday evening. She said that areas prone to waterlogging have been identified and steps are being taken to fix the same.

“The government has only been in power briefly but we have taken extensive steps to ensure that the city does not face waterlogging concerns this year,” Gupta said.

Leaders of the AAP, including former CM Atishi, slammed the government for waterlogging in several areas following rains on Tuesday.