Give us inflatable boats for flooded Delhi roads this monsoon: RWAs to Kejriwal

A federation of east Delhi RWAs has written to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia asking them to provide inflatable boats in low-lying areas that witness waterlogging each year during monsoon.

Now, Delhi residents are demanding boats for waterlogged areas of the city.

Waterlogging on Ring Road near ITO in June 2016. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

In a letter to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, a federation of east Delhi RWAs has asked the Delhi government to provide inflatable boats to people in low-lying areas which get flooded every year during monsoon.

“The CM himself says that PWD has not cleaned the drains. So, the situation will be difficult this year. Boats should be provided to all RWAs in vulnerable areas,” BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, told HT. According to him, the RWAs want to send out a message in all seriousness as well as sarcasm. “On one hand we want to give a message to the authorities, and on the other, it may be helpful for those in the low lying areas.”

Even before the monsoon hit Delhi on July 2, the city had witnessed waterlogging at various spots over the last two weeks when it rained almost every day. Several areas of the city transformed into mini pools and vehicles were seen navigating potholed roads flooded with water.

Terming the ‘failure’ as ‘criminal negligence’ and ‘health terrorism’, AAP legislators asked speaker Ram Niwas Goel to set an example as he did last week by serving a 30-day jail term to two visitors who tossed papers in the House from the visitors’ gallery.

“Salary of these officers are paid from tax payers’ money but they are not accountable to people nor their elected representatives. What they have been doing is criminal negligence. You should use your powers to summon officers and set an example by sending one of two to jail,” said Laxmi Nagar legislator Nitin Tyagi during the discussion on the petitions committee report on de-silting tabled in the House on June 30.

“Alarmed over the pathetic condition of the drains and the blatant representation of the facts by the authorities before the committee,” the House later adopted a resolution moved by Dwarka legislator Adarsh Shastri, directing the Delhi government that “all the recommendations made in its report” be implemented.