L-G panel to prevent waterlogging

New Delhi: Lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal has constituted a high-level committee to resolve the problem of waterlogging during monsoons. The panel will look after drains and open manholes across the city by desilting them.

The committee comprises various agencies, including the Public Works Department (PWD), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), among others. The PWD secretary will head the committee.

The LG-appointed panel has prepared a plan to desilt all 163 major drains in the city by June 15. The committee will coordinate the desilting work among the different agencies so that they don’t end up pointing fingers at each other, a senior government official said.

“The committee has asked all agencies concerned to come up with their detailed plans on the removal of silt from drains and roads by May 26, and also report how many drains they have desilted so far,” the official told a news agency.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the normal monsoon onset date in the national capital is June 29.

The PWD is in charge of a 1,260 km stretch of road in the national capital, while the rest fall under the jurisdiction of the civic bodies. “As the committee has representatives from different agencies, they will work in tandem to desilt drains and cover all open manholes under their jurisdiction.

The committee will closely monitor the situation with various agencies,” the official said. Open manholes in the city’s roads often cause fatal accidents and the committee has asked for plans to cover the same. Last year, the Delhi government had banned road-cutting activities during monsoon, but due to poor monitoring, the ban could not be implemented.