India, July 21 -- Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to review preparedness for heavy rainfall, progress of the Urban Flood Mitigation Plan and the establishment of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in the Capital amid evolving El-Nino conditions and erratic monsoons. The meeting noted an improvement in Delhi's flooding situation, with waterlogging-prone sites reducing from 194 in 2024 to 169 in 2025 and further to just 34 in 2026. Repeated waterlogging sites also declined from 53 between 2024-25 to only eight between 2025-26.
Officials informed that MCD, I&FCD, NDMC and DDA had completed their desilting targets, while PWD achieved about 95 per cent and Delhi Jal Board reported over 85 per cent desilting across its sewer network. The Chief Minister directed timely disposal of removed silt, immediate covering of drains and manholes, and zero tolerance towards accidents. The meeting also discussed the preventive removal of dangerous trees that often fall during storms or heavy rainfall, with directions for proactive identification and removal. At the meeting, the L-G and the Chief Minister observed that while Delhi had witnessed significant improvement in flooding compared to 2024 and 2025, there was still considerable scope for further improvement.
Citing weather forecasts indicating spells of sudden heavy rainfall, the LG directed all departments to ensure minimum or no flooding and stressed that accountability for lapses would be fixed. He said flooding remained a legacy issue but directed officials to implement all short-term measures even as long-term drainage projects progress. The L-G also directed that the SDRF be made operational at the earliest with enhanced strength and emphasised seamless coordination among agencies during emergencies. The L-G and CM instructed departments to resolve flooding and accident-related issues without jurisdictional delays, ensure real-time monitoring of public complaints, keep mobile heavy-duty pumps ready during crises, and strengthen coordination with neighbouring states for an effective flood response.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.