NEW DELHI: Following a spell of over 100 mm rainfall that brought large parts of the capital to a standstill for two consecutive days this week, Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu directed officials to treat waterlogging as a “disaster” and mount a war-footing response.
Calling for a whole-of-government approach, he asked all departments to work in close coordination on the ground, ensure real-time redressal of complaints, and prioritise swift relief to citizens as several key roads were submerged and traffic movement severely disrupted on two consecutive days.
The L-G gave these directions during a meeting with senior officers to review the situation late Tuesday evening. Tuesday was reportedly the capital’s wettest August day in two years. “Directed that the situation be treated as a disaster requiring a war footing response, with a ‘whole of government’ approach and every department and agency working in complete synergy rather than in silos,” Sandhu said in a post on X on Wednesday.
He asked officials to prioritise complaints raised through the media, social media and other platforms and stressed continuous monitoring.
On Tuesday, waterlogging was reported at several key locations, with traffic movement affected on stretches, including ITO towards Mandi House, Mahipalpur, Airport Road, Vikas Marg, Laxmi Nagar, Karol Bagh and the Akshardham flyover. Roads outside the three hospitals, including Safdarjung, AIIMS and RML, witnessed major traffic disruptions.
L-G in his post also said, “In the meeting, we underlined the need for close and continuous oversight to ensure directions are followed in letter and spirit, with timely action and visible results on the ground.”
“Our priority and focus must remain clear, swift relief to citizens and a safer, better-managed Delhi,” the post further read. On July 28, Sandhu reviewed the status of measures undertaken for the prevention of waterlogging and cleaning of drains and steps against vector-borne diseases.
Since March 2026, Sandhu has held several review meetings on monsoon preparedness, desilting of drains and measures to prevent waterlogging across the city.
The first such review was conducted in March 2026, followed by subsequent meetings in June and July, where civic agencies, including the MCD, PWD and irrigation departments, were directed to expedite desilting work and strengthen drainage systems ahead of the monsoon season.
Another review meeting in the first week of August had focused on traffic management and identification of waterlogging hotspots.
Wahi meets Sandhu to discuss development issues
Mayor Pravesh Wahi on Wednesday met L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu and discussed issues related to the city’s development, civic amenities and public welfare, said officials. The meeting also focused on efforts to make Delhi cleaner, safer and more liveable, with Wahi stressing the need for better coordination among government and civic agencies.