Shortly after the heavy unseasonal rain in Delhi on Friday, which caused waterlogging at several places, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh were on the ground zero to inspect the waterlogging spots and ensure that the complaints were resolved in time.
Waterlogged underpass after heavy rain at Kishan Ganj (photo:SNS)
Shortly after the heavy unseasonal rain in Delhi on Friday, which caused waterlogging at several places, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh were on the ground zero to inspect the waterlogging spots and ensure that the complaints were resolved in time.
According to the PWD, due to the alertness and swift response of its staff, over 90 per cent of the complaints were resolved within a couple of hours.
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Gupta personally visited various areas—starting from Majnu Ka Tila in North Delhi and other places—to inspect the situation on the ground and shared that the ministers and senior officials have also been on the field since the early morning hours to assess the drainage systems first-hand.
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The CM said that today’s rain should serve as a warning for all departments, as the absence of concrete steps in drain cleaning and road maintenance could lead to a far worse situation in the monsoon.
Verma began inspections early in the morning, starting at 5.30 am, and visited Minto Road, which has been in the spotlight when it comes to waterlogging in Delhi.
Taking to X, he said that due to the unseasonal record rain, some water remained stagnant at many places in Delhi. He added that he began visiting affected areas from 5:30 am to take stock of the situation.
“Went to Minto Bridge and saw that all four pumps were running and the operator was on standby. A pipe had burst, and the concerned personnel were asked to repair the same,” he added.
According to the PWD, its round-the-clock control rooms, mobile pump units, super suction machines, bell-mouth cleaning teams, and regional officers remained active throughout the night and into the morning to ensure that the impact of the rain and the waterlogging situation remained under control.
In most cases, water was cleared within 30 to 60 minutes, and even in low-lying areas, the situation was brought under control shortly thereafter.
Verma stated, “In just two months, we have activated and made the system accountable. Teams were on alert well in advance, which enabled immediate response after the rainfall.”
He further said, “We are dealing with the sins of the past 10 years—it will take time to clean that up. But we’ve started. The people have already begun to see the difference.”
The minister emphasised that the PWD’s focus is not just on temporary fixes, but on building permanent solutions and a time-bound response system.
Talking about the status of major areas affected by waterlogging, officials said these included Patparganj, Vikas Marg, Laxmi Nagar, Satyam Chowk, Mandawali, W-Block Mayur Vihar in the East circle, where heavy-duty manhole pumps were used to drain the water, and the issues were resolved within 30–45 minutes.
In the North circle, Loni Road, New Seelampur, Old GT Road, Gurudwara Road faced waterlogging, where the department dealt with the problem by manual cleaning, while maintenance vans were deployed to clear water from all the spots.
In the South Circle, areas such as SN Marg, August Kranti Marg, Chirag Delhi Flyover, and Ring Road witnessed waterlogging. Bell mouth machines and manual cleaning were deployed to resolve the issues within 15–30 minutes.
In the South West, RK Puram, Panchsheel Marg, Power House, and Ring Road areas were affected, where floating debris and other issues were resolved using maintenance vans within 15–20 minutes.
Similarly, in other parts of the city, including West Delhi, accumulated water was cleared using different machines and techniques within 30 to 60 minutes, or at most, within two hours.
Meanwhile, the CM has given instructions to all relevant departments, including PWD, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, and the Department of Urban Development, to prepare a list of all waterlogged spots and resolve them promptly through mutual coordination.
Additionally, areas where roads are damaged or dug up have been marked for immediate repair.
The CM slammed the previous AAP government, stating that they handed over a crumbling system, which will take time to restore fully.
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