SDMC’s desilting plan runs into deep waters

If you are living in South Delhi, then brace up to wade through knee-deep water this monsoon. Reason: the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) just realised that it lacks the adequate equipment to desilt drains.

If you are living in South Delhi, then brace up to wade through knee-deep water this monsoon. Reason: the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) just realised that it lacks the adequate equipment to desilt drains.

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A month after SDMC’s formation, the issue of desilting of drains was discussed at length on Thursday at a meeting where the deliberative wing found out that there were inadequate number of machines to clean the drains this year.

Earlier, the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had 13 jetting and suction machines to clear the silt. After the trifurcation, the NDMC and SDMC were given five machines each while the East Delhi Municipal Corporation was given the remaining three.

Though SDMC has decided to procure eight more machines, officials say the process will take months and they will not be able to put it to use before monsoon. “There will be one suction machine per eight wards. With a total of 104 wards in SDMC, there is need for eight more machines,” said an official.

According to leader of the house Subhash Arya, the planning had to be done much earlier — during the months when the MCD elections were on —but officials did not act.

Arya, however, said the inadequate number of machines will not pose a big problem.

“The unified MCD cleaned drains even when there were no machines. The work of desilting got affected during the election months, but now it is being done at a great speed,” he said.

The corporation, which is trying to impose more taxes on the residents, has also woken up to the need for cleaner toilets. It will be procuring jetting machines for its toilets so that they can be cleaned every day.