The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
‘ Choked drains’: No end to blame game between AAP & L- G
WITH HEAVY rains and waterlogging in Delhi claiming several lives in the city over the past few days, a blame game has erupted between the office of the LtGovernor and the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) yet again.
Lt- Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena visited three drains in Ni z a muddin, f l a g g i ng t hei r state as “appalling and shameful”. His office said the drains were choked with silt, sludge and debris.
Hitting back, the AAP said in a statement, “Now that the monsoon is almost over, the L- G has come forward just to pay lip service and engage in dirty politics. It would have been better if he had taken action against the Chief Secretary and the PWD Secretary, as well as any other officers involved in the wrongdoing... There is still time for the LG to take action...”
The AAP as well as Delhi government ministers have alleged that senior bureaucrats have not followed instructions to desilt drains despite complaints.
In a series of posts on X, Saxena said he visited and inspected the Barapullah, Kushak and Sunehri drains and the historic Barapullah Bridge at Nizamuddin Sunday. “It requires urgent corrective measures to ensure smooth flow of water to mitigate flooding,” he said.
These three arterial drains are under the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD). Saxena said the drains carry stormwater into Yamuna and have not been desilted and unclogged for years, despite claims to the contrary.
“Only five out of the 12 bays under culverts at Barapullah, 3 out of 6 bays at Sunehri and 4 out of 7 bays at Kushak drains are open with the remaining lying completely choked... leads to backflow and flooding,” the L-G said on X.
He instructed them to clear encroachments on Barapullah and restore the bridge to its original state in a week.
Accompanied by officials of the drain- owning agencies like MCD and Irrigation and Flood Control, Saxena oversaw the commencement of the de silting works and directed the agencies to complete the works within 15 days, L-G House officials said in a note. He also asked officials to monitor the drains through CCTV cameras and to take action against those found dumping waste into the drains.
The clogging of the Barapullah drain leads to backflow of water and flooding of areas like Nizamuddin, Lodhi Road, Jangpura, CGO Complex and other adjoining parts, they said.