Govt on Wheels’ reaches East Delhi; Verma inspects ongoing works, Laxmi Nagar to get skywalk

Continuing the initiative of taking governance directly to the people, Delhi PWD and Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday took to the streets with the ‘Government on Wheels’ campaign, conducting an extensive inspection of development works across East Delhi.

During the visit, Verma was accompanied by local MLAs, including Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma, Patparganj MLA Ravinder Singh Negi, Trilokpuri MLA Ravikant, Shahdara MLA Sanjay Goyal, as well as senior officials, engineers, and other public representatives.

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Travelling on board a bus, Verma inspected several areas in East Delhi, including the Patparganj highway stretch and the Jhilmil Underpass, two locations that have long been identified as major waterlogging hotspots during the monsoon.

Recalling the area’s past, Verma said that after Minto Bridge, Patparganj had become one of Delhi’s most recognised symbols of urban flooding, with visuals of submerged buses frequently dominating television screens during the rainy season.

He reviewed key infrastructure projects, interacted with local residents, and assessed the progress of measures aimed at permanently resolving long-standing civic issues.

The Minister said that sustained planning, better inter-departmental coordination, and continuous monitoring have brought about a visible transformation on the ground.

Verma also reviewed drainage improvements, ongoing desilting works, and other engineering interventions undertaken to ensure smoother discharge of rainwater during heavy rainfall.

Addressing residents and officials, he said that development works which had remained pending for 10, 15, and even 20 years are now progressing at an unprecedented pace through the coordinated efforts of the PWD, Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, and other engineering agencies.

He also acknowledged the proactive role played by MLAs in identifying local issues and ensuring that people’s concerns are translated into actionable projects.

Verma announced that Laxmi Nagar will soon get a modern skywalk to enhance pedestrian safety and improve traffic movement at one of East Delhi’s busiest intersections.

“Just as Delhi has a skywalk at ITO, we will build an even better and more beautiful skywalk here and dedicate it to the people of East Delhi,” he added.

Several MLAs also highlighted the need for precast stormwater drains in their respective constituencies to provide faster, more durable, and long-term drainage solutions.

Taking note of these suggestions, Verma said the Delhi government is actively expanding the use of precast drain technology, which significantly reduces construction time while improving the efficiency of stormwater management.

Highlighting the government’s changing approach towards urban infrastructure, Verma said Delhi’s relationship with the monsoon has changed significantly.

He assured that the remaining critical locations prone to waterlogging, where permanent engineering solutions are required, are also being taken up and will be addressed in the coming months.