To provide relief to the residents of Delhi from waterlogging, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday held an apex meeting to assess preparedness of the concerned departments, including Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and others, for the upcoming monsoon season.

Recalling the monsoon of 2023, the chief minister recounted how several areas were flooded due to the rise in the level of water in Yamuna. She said to avoid such a situation, all major barrages have been repaired and maintained, nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed from major drains.

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She said 80-90 per cent of desilting work has been completed by the MCD and PWD and the rest will be completed before monsoon.

She also mentioned the newly-released Flood Control Order 2025 that includes complete guidelines for drainage systems, river embankments, pumping stations, operational plans, equipment details, and emergency contact numbers.

In addition, Sector Committees have been formed under the leadership of Cabinet Ministers, Pravesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Each committee will include 3-4 DMs who will be responsible for flood management in their respective sectors.

The Central Flood Control Room will start operating from June 15 and has been established at the office of the DM (East), she added.

It will function as a citywide coordination hub with representatives from all civic bodies stationed 24×7 and a total of 15 wireless stations including the central control room will monitor water levels of the Yamuna and other vulnerable areas continuously.

She said if the Yamuna crosses the danger level of 204.5 meters during the monsoon, residents in low-lying areas will be alerted and shifted to safer locations.

Boats will be stationed at 14 key points for rescue operation and measures will be taken to ensure floodwater does not reach main roads or disrupt traffic, she said.

Giving an account of the department-wise preparations, the CM said 11 Quick Response Centers (QRCs) have been established across DJB South East circles with engineers, staff, vehicles, and cleaning machines to resolve complaints locally.

Moreover, the MCD has also strengthened the pumping system and monitoring system to deal with the problem of water logging during monsoon as 79 permanent pumps have been installed in all 12 zones which will operate 24×7, while 465 temporary pumps are kept ready in municipal stores which can be deployed immediately if required.