Certify each drain is clean before monsoons:HC to civic bodies

To ensure accountability for the flooding of roads during monsoon, the Delhi High Court has asked the civic bodies to certify that each drain under their control was clean and would not overflow during the rains.
A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna said each drain has to be inspected and certified as cleaned and dredged by the concerned zonal or executive engineer of the civic body.
The engineers will also have to certify that there would be no overflowing during monsoon and if, thereafter, flooding occurs, "then we will know whom to hold responsible".
The bench said it was not concerned over how the Public Works Department (PWD) and the municipal corporations cleaned the drains, but they "have to be cleaned".

Senior standing counsel for Delhi government Rahul Mehra told the court that a coordination committee has been set up by the Lieutenant Governor to ensure that the city roads, sewers and drains are in good repair and this panel can look at this aspect also.
The bench asked the panel to hold a meeting in two weeks to consider the issues of open man-holes and dug-up roads also, as these posed a hazard to the public, including pedestrians when the roads are waterlogged.
The court also said the certificate regarding each drain, which is inspected, should be submitted to the panel which shall file them in court along with an action taken report before the next date of hearing on May 26.

The directions from the bench came during the hearing of a PIL by Lt Col (retd) B B Sharan, who has sought directions to the civic bodies to keep the national capital clean.