Delhi’s Desilting Deadline: Beating the Clock

The Challenge Ahead

New Delhi faces a big challenge. The city government might not meet its desilting deadline of June 15. The Public Works Department (PWD) has finished only 57% of the work so far.

Why the Delay?

Several reasons have caused this delay:

• The previous government did not start the tender process on time due to elections.
• Some current contractors have had trouble doing the work properly.

Why Desilting Matters

Desilting is key to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon season. The PWD is in charge of cleaning nearly 2,141 km of drains in the city. This work is usually done between April and June. This is a busy time for drain cleaning machines all over India.

“Planning should start by January or February. Sadly, this did not happen,” an official said.

Focusing on Major Drains

To reduce waterlogging during the monsoon, the PWD is focusing on major drains and those near populated areas. The irrigation department is also clearing natural stormwater drains. They are removing blockages that stop water flow in areas like Mehrauli. The irrigation department has done better, with about 90% of desilting completed.

Work in Progress and Future Plans

Work is still going on at large drains such as Najafgarh. Senior officials are asking for weekly reports. They want to make sure that major works are done by the end of June. Delhi usually sees heavy rainfall in July.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma noted that small tenders for short periods have hurt the quality of work in recent years. To fix this, it has been decided that desilting and road repair work will be given for at least two years from the next cycle.

Accountability and Yearly Challenges

The Delhi government has said that officials will be held responsible if waterlogging happens in areas identified by the authorities. Every year, the monsoon starts by the end of June. The PWD aims to finish desilting by then. However, the work often continues into July, after the monsoon has already hit Delhi.

Recent Waterlogging Incidents

Heavy rain last month caused waterlogging at a hundred spots across the capital. The Delhi Traffic Police, PWD control room, MCD, and NDMC got many distress calls. Underpasses were among the worst hit.

Key areas that saw waterlogging included:

• Delhi Cantonment, where cars were almost fully underwater in an underpass.
• Minto Road
• ITO, where people walked through flooded roads during the morning rush.
• Connaught Place
• Shivaji Metro station