THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, DELHI
The Lt. Governor Shri V.K. Saxena along with Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia today chaired a high level meeting to assess the plan of action detailing the monsoon preparedness, with an aim of ensuring least inconvenience to people due to water-logging, road flooding, overflowing drains and falling of trees.
This meeting held after a more than hour long one on one interaction between the LG and the CM and involving inter-departmental/agency coordination was attended by the Chief Secretary, ACS to CM, also in-charge of Environment & Forest Departments, Chairman, NDMC, Special Officer, MCD, Pr. Secretary, PWD, Secretary, I&FC, Commissioner, MCD, Special CPs of Traffic, CEO, DJB, CEO, DUSIB, CEO, Delhi Cantonment Board and Engineering Heads of the concerned departments amongst others.
After reviewing a presentation with regards to the efforts and status of de-silting of drains, laying of alternate pipelines to transport water logged at chronic sites, deployment of pumps and vans, the Lt. Governor and the Chief Minister asked officials to put in place comprehensive long term measures to deal with the problems of overflowing and water logging rather than dealing with the issue in a ‘Crisis Management Mode’ as has been happening till now.
The Lt. Governor directed officials to simultaneously start the exercise of creating sink holes of 6-8 inches diameter, lined with perforated pipes and covered suitably at the sites prone to water logging along roads and along drains and DJB sewer lines prone to flooding, so that water could be instantly absorbed and used for recharge of ground water below such locations. The Chief Minister seconded the idea and directed officials to comply with it.
While the Lt. Governor stressed upon proactive preparedness on part of the authorities after putting all systems in place and deploying Quick Response Teams (QRT) equipped with all instruments that should be seen to be working on the ground, the Chief Minister underlined the importance of enhancing and improving upon the work being done by various agencies in the capital.
It was also decided that the waste/malba taken out of the drains after de-silting be lifted immediately and transported to designated sites rather than leaving them on the edge of the drains from where they again went into the drain making the whole exercise fruitless. The LG asked for this removal to be photographed, transportation to be videographed and updated on the websites the concerned agencies. For the purpose of de-silting of drains it was directed that pressurized hosing be undertaken so as to forcefully move the silt downstream and not letting it settle down. Similarly, to ensure that caving of roads and pathways does not take place during rainy season, it was directed that proper compaction be done after completion of all civil works. In an important move officials were directed to construct concrete cemented roads at sites that were prone to water logging and flooding rather than the prevalent bitumen once that are in practice as of now.
As far as the long term plan of action is concerned the Lt. Governor and Chief Minister agreed upon a comprehensive study of City’s drains, gradient and catchment areas so that excess water could be transported to natural/artificial pits, depressions and low lands in the City with the purpose of long term storage. The LG and CM directed officials to explore the possibility and come up with a time bound plan for laying of alternate pipelines for storm water drainage. The Drainage Master Plan that had been pending for years together was instructed to be expeditiously finalized with the help of experts and domain specific agencies.
The Lt. Governor reiterated that the aim should be to ensure least inconvenience to people if not zero, and all department/agencies involved should be seen doing so with seamless coordination and cooperation. Underlining that the crux of the meeting was the people of the city should not be inconvenienced the LG and the CM conveyed it in no uncertain terms that they did not differ on anything aimed at well-being of people of Delhi and the departments should work in sync and in total coordination and let the people know that their government is working for them. We all have to work together for the city they emphasized.