Plea for steps against waterlogging during monsoon reaches HC

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw fixed July 11 for hearing the matter.

The public interest litigation was filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal who accused the civic agencies of doing precious little to prevent the recurrent malady before the monsoon.

The petitioner claimed he has obtained information through RTI application to Public Works Department (PWD) that there are about 41 places in the city, including the busy South Extension and Moolchand underpass and Ashram chowk, where the water logging occurs during the rainy season.

According to Bansal, Dhaula Kuan underpass, ISBT Kashmiri Gate exit, ITO Chungi underpass on Vikas Marg, Stadium Gate near Siri Fort Road, Ring Road bypass are the other places where the water-logging occurs due to bad drainage system.

He said water-logging causes major traffic jams during the monsoon and the major cause of water-logging happens to be the silt deposition in drains.

"The responsibility of the construction and maintenance of the large drains is with the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi government," said the advocate adding that removal of silt from the drains, however, is the responsibility of the municipal bodies.

"It is not only the MCD, NDMC, DDA who have to share the burden but also the Delhi Cantonment Board and Irrigation and Flood Control Department have to do it," the petitioner also said and sought the court's direction to solve the problem of water-logging.