India, Aug. 27 -- PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh has outlined Delhi's short and long-term plans to tackle waterlogging, as a blame game has emerged within the BJP-led government a day after heavy rain inundated several parts of the Capital, with officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), speaking anonymously to some media, pointing to alleged shortcomings in the Public Works Department's desilting work. The minister however, defended the department's efforts and outlined that the number of waterlogging spots has fallen from around 308 earlier to 115 currently. Of the current locations, 60 fall under the PWD's jurisdiction. Work at 39 of these sites is being taken up through immediate measures, which the minister said would take around three to four months. The remaining 21 have been identified for permanent interventions that could take one to two years. "Earlier there were around 308 waterlogging spots. When we came to power, there were 169 points in 2025. Today, there are 115," Singh said, Also Read - H1N1 hits 2,446 in Capital Advertisement adding that the government was working on both immediate and permanent solutions. He said the PWD was also preparing a new Drainage Master Plan, taking into account Delhi's present and projected requirements. According to Singh, the existing drainage infrastructure was designed for a much smaller population and is inadequate when rainfall exceeds the carrying capacity of drains. "When there is suddenly too much rain, the capacity of drains is less, so it takes time for the water to pass," he said. The minister added that water remaining on roads for 30-35 minutes would not necessarily be treated as Also Read - Rs 2,500 promise, now in motion waterlogging, while prolonged accumulation for two hours or more would be considered a serious waterlogging situation. Singh said large drains were also being constructed as part of the broader drainage planning exercise. "At each spot, work is under progress. The situation is much better than previous years," he said. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said Delhi's drainage network was more than five decades old and stressed the need to address structural deficiencies rather than relying only on temporary measures. She said the government was pursuing a Rs.56,000-crore master plan covering drainage, sewerage and water infrastructure. Meanwhile, Traffic Police data has identified 21 locations that have repeatedly faced inundation during successive monsoons. PWD had also listed 448 vulnerable locations in May for preventive measures ahead of the rainy season. The PWD maintains around 1,400 km of arterial roads in Delhi and works with civic agencies, including the MCD and NDMC, on drainage, desilting and flood-control measures during the monsoon.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.