Atishi asks PWD officials to complete desilting work before monsoon

Delhi PWD Minister Atishi on Friday directed officials of the department to complete the desilting of drains before the monsoon season, and sought a weekly report from them.

The PWD said in a statement it was working to create a proper infrastructure by identifying various waterlogging hotspots in the capital so as to prevent the problem during heavy rains.

To take stock of the department's preparations, Atishi held a review meeting with the officials on Friday, it said.

She directed the officials to ensure that a system is in place to prevent waterlogging before the monsoon so that no inconvenience is caused to the public, the statement said.

"The desilting work of the PWD's drains should be completed within the stipulated timeline, and its report should be submitted on a weekly basis. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, we are committed to working towards freeing Delhi from waterlogging," Atishi said.

The PWD has identified 165 waterlogging spots and five hotspots across Delhi and is fully prepared to tackle the waterlogging problem in these areas, she added.

The five waterlogging hotspots are -- New Rohtak Road, under the Zakira Nagar Flyover, the Loni Road roundabout, near the Jahangirpuri Metro Station and the Karala Kanjhawala Road.

Various measures have been taken by the Delhi Jal Board to prevent waterlogging in these areas. These include increasing the capacity of existing pump houses, drain modification and constructing new drains.

As part of its preparations, the PWD has installed 128 pump houses, which have over 700 pumps.

Eleven pump houses are fully automatic and start operating as soon as the water level rises, according to the statement.

During the monsoon season, PWD will also deploy its mobile pump units, if necessary, it said.

The desilting work of PWD's drains is ongoing and the first phase of desilting work will be completed by May 31.

During the monsoon, PWD's central control room will monitor serious waterlogging areas through 24-hour CCTV surveillance, the department said.

In addition to this, PWD will establish control rooms at 10 other locations. People can register waterlogging-related complaints on a helpline number the PWD will issue during the monsoon season, it added.