Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh inspecting the waterlogging-prone Minto Bridge underpass in April.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday directed officials to complete desilting all drains by May 31, after it was reported to her that 66.29% of the process has been completed.

Ms. Gupta gave the order after she chaired a review meeting to assess monsoon preparedness.

“To accelerate progress, 66 modern machines, including draglines, hydraulic excavators, water masters, trash skimmers and weed harvesters, are being deployed continuously to remove silt, waste, and aquatic weeds from drains,” an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.

The CM said that uninterrupted water flow in drains is crucial to preventing urban flooding in Delhi and directed that both desilting and construction of culverts be completed on a war footing before monsoon. She also instructed officials to intensify efforts to remove floating debris and other obstructions to minimise the risk of waterlogging.

‘Pumps installed’

Ms. Gupta said a comprehensive pumping system has been put in place to combat waterlogging during monsoon. A total of 190 pumps have been deployed — 40 at permanent pumping stations, 106 temporary pumps, and 44 mobile pumps, that can be immediately dispatched to waterlogged areas as needed.

She also directed that the functionality of all pumps be regularly tested and adequate measures be pre-arranged in vulnerable zones.

Ms. Gupta called for better coordination among all departments concerned to ensure that Delhi citizens do not face any inconvenience during the monsoon season.

Delhi faces waterlogging every monsoon. Earlier this month, several areas were waterlogged after Delhi received heavy rainfall.

In February, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to submit an undertaking that the desilting works of the 24 drains in the Capital will be completed by May 31 to prevent flooding during monsoon.