NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday to complete desilting of drains in its jurisdiction by June 15. He was informed by the agency that 70 per cent of the work has already been completed.
Sandhu has been monitoring the desilting operations to ensure monsoon preparedness and minimise the risk of waterlogging across the city.
The DDA has desilted 69 kilometres of storm water drains in Narela and 192 kilometres of storm water drains in Dwarka. The work involves removal of accumulated silt, debris, vegetation, and other obstructions that hinder the free flow of rainwater.
The DDA stated that desilting work was initiated with the objective of ensuring smooth drainage of rainwater, preventing flooding of roads, reducing traffic congestion, maintaining hygiene, and improving the overall upkeep of public infrastructure during the monsoon season in the national capital.
“The desilting operations are progressing in a mission mode, and approximately 70 per cent of the work has already been completed,” they said. Regular inspections and monitoring are being carried out by the officials to ensure timely completion and adherence to quality standards, DDA said.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) recently claimed to have completed nearly 80 per cent of the first phase of desilting in drains measuring four feet and above, despite having more than a month remaining before the June 30 deadline.
According to data shared by the civic body, 112,053.68 metric tonnes (MT) of silt had been removed from 793 major drains against a Phase-I target of 141,003 MT as of May 19, translating to 79.47 per cent completion.
Earlier, in April, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department reported significant progress in its desilting drive across the city’s major drains as part of efforts to curb waterlogging and urban flooding during the monsoon.
Official figures up to the third week of April showed that desilting work in 76 drains had reached 57.68% completion, with over 16.48L cubic metres of silt removed against a total target of 28.5L cubic metres.