Delhi government gears up ahead of monsoon to fight water-logging

New Delhi, May 26: The Delhi government has taken up several measures on war footing to prevent water-logging during the monsoon, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said here on Friday.

Sisodia said inputs would be taken from public before preparing an action plan, and senior officials would make personal visits to review desilting and other major preparatory works.

"We've given time till June 7 to officers to identify vulnerable areas in the city where water-logging happens every year after taking feedback from public," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The list will be uploaded on the government website by June 7 and an action plan will be made after taking suggestions from public, according to him.

"We are also working on a mechanism through which public can send photos and details of water-logging if it happens despite our efforts," Sisodia said.

The government will also set up a helpline number by June 12, through which people can share their grievances about water-logging.

"As roads and drains are managed by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Public Works Department (PWD), a joint committee of MCD and PWD officials, with PWD Secretary as Chairman, has been formed to carry out the preparatory works," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

"At places where MCD and PWD drains meet, there is always a blame game over whose responsibility it is to clean the drain," he said. 

Now, the government had asked the joint committee to identify such areas in the city and fix them first to avoid such blame game in the future, Sisodia said 

"Wherever major desilting works are happening under PWD, the PWD Secretary has to personally visit the spot. Chief Minister himself will be visiting different areas during the monsoon," he added.