Illegal colonies to blame for waterlogging, says MCD

Unable to find a solution to the city’s waterlogging problems, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has blamed the city’s unauthorised colonies for the problem.

Unable to find a solution to the city’s waterlogging problems, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has blamed the city’s unauthorised colonies for the problem.

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MCD commissioner KS Mehra said poor drainage facility in unauthorised colonies is the chief cause of waterlogging.

The issue was raised in the MCD’s Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday with councillors raising concern over the present scenario. “We have met our desilting target. We had aimed at removing 1.04 lakh metric tonne of silt this year and till last week we had removed 1.02 lakh metric tonne of silt from the nullahs,” said Mehra.

The MCD has also blamed Delhi government’s Flood and Irrigation department for not cleaning its nullahs.

“The city’s drainage system needs to be overhauled as it is very old. Delhi government is preparing a Master Plan to improve the drainage system. We will help them by providing details of the existing system and how to improve it,” he said.

MCD is also meant to clean the Public Works Department’s storm water drains but the agency has failed to hire additional staff (nullah beldars) to clean them. “Our staff is now being made to clean the PWD nullahs, also. This has resulted in staff crunch and desilting work is suffering,” said Sarita Choudhary, deputy chairperson MCD Standing Committee.