New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called upon city officials to urgently address the widespread waterlogging that disrupted the capital following heavy rainfall on Friday morning. During a visit to the Majnu Ka Tila area, she described the situation as an “alarming” sign of systemic issues in the city’s drainage infrastructure.
“There is waterlogging in several areas. Some areas don’t even have drains. Some areas have drains that are clogged. Delhi is in a very bad condition,” Gupta told reporters, emphasizing the need for immediate corrective measures.
The Chief Minister has directed all relevant departments to expedite the cleaning and maintenance of drains to prevent future waterlogging. She has also assigned specific responsibilities to ministers and MLAs to oversee these efforts in their respective constituencies. “All ministers have been given missions, and all our MLAs are designated with public works,” Gupta stated.
Minister Parvesh Verma also conducted inspections across the city, noting that while some pumps were operational, others required immediate repairs. He emphasized that the Public Works Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board, and other agencies are actively working to address the situation.
The heavy rainfall, which recorded 77mm at Safdarjung and 78mm at Lodhi Road, led to significant traffic disruptions and delays at the airport. Additionally, the storm caused the collapse of a house, resulting in the tragic deaths of four individuals, including three children.
In response to the recurring waterlogging issues, CM Gupta has initiated a comprehensive plan involving the desilting of major drains and the assignment of responsibilities to local legislators. She has also allocated a dedicated budget to ensure timely completion of these tasks.
The Delhi government is committed to resolving the waterlogging crisis and improving the city’s infrastructure to prevent such occurrences in the future.
