Amid criticism, Arvind Kejriwal says keeping an eye on Delhi’s waterlogged areas

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s tweet came almost an hour after Gambhir’s retort over the condition of the Capital’s roads.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday all agencies must work together in clearing waterlogged parts after a spell of heavy rain flooded several areas in the national capital.

Arvind Kejriwal’s response also came amid criticism from opposition leaders, especially BJP’s Gautam Gambhir. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Arvind Kejriwal’s response also came amid criticism from opposition leaders, especially BJP’s Gautam Gambhir.

The former cricketer had attacked the Delhi chief minister soon after several areas in the Capital were flooded. Gambhir, who represents East Delhi in Parliament, had posted several photographs of waterlogged roads on Twitter to make his point.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s tweet came almost an hour after Gambhir’s retort over the condition of the Capital’s roads.

He mentioned Minto Bridge, where the body of a 60-year-old man was found after the heavy rains, as one such area which was cleared of waterlogging earlier in the day.

“I have been with agencies since this morning and was monitoring the process of removing water from there. There are several such areas in Delhi which are being monitored. We shall send pumps immediately to areas in which waterlogging is reported,” he tweeted.

“This year all agencies, which include the Delhi government and the municipal corporations, were completely invested in managing corona. They have faced a lot of difficulties,” he posted on Twitter.

“This is no time to get into any blame game. All agencies must join hands in fulfilling their responsibilities. We will make all efforts to clear areas where waterlogging is reported at the earliest,” he added.

Raghav Chadha, the AAP’s national spokesperson and Delhi Jal Board vice-chairperson, said de-silting and clearance of drains in the city got delayed this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Drains that come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government and the municipal corporations are cleared before the arrival of monsoons, especially in April. This year, all agencies were invested in Covid management, so the work concerning drains either got postponed or delayed,” said Chadha.

“The work could not take place in the scheduled time. Agencies could properly get into clearing and de-silting of drains only by June. The current issue is being monitored personally by the CM. We are sending pumps to clear water from waterlogged areas,” he added.