Disappointed with Delhi government’s monsoon preparedness, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav expressed concern over the waterlogging issue in the city during rain.
He said that according to latest data, only 60.47 per cent of the desilting work of drains under the PWD jurisdiction has been completed, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Jal Board faring no better in cleaning the drains under their charge.
“With PWD advancing the date to complete the desilting work to June 30, the Capital will witness the familiar scene of flooded and water-logged roads when rains lash Delhi,” he added.
Yadav said that with the Rekha Gupta Government having extended the deadline for the completion of the desilting works to June 30, and the PWD having missed the previous deadlines, the people of Delhi stare at the prospects of the streets getting flooded with traffic logjams making life unbearable for the commuters.
“The Rekha Gupta government seems to have been caught napping, like it used to be during the regime of the Keriwal government. The pre-monsoon showers last week had flooded the roads and under passes, the hot spots which are prone to waterlogging, and the PWD has also identified 71 hot spots for waterlogging, yet the Government has not done anything to prevent the recurrence of waterlogging at such places,” he said.
He said that though the Rekha Gupta governemnt has been boasting of its many “achievements” in the the past 100 days, the reality is that the government has totally neglected issues that needed urgent attention on a priority basis like desilting of the sewers and storm water drains on time, taking steps to control air and water pollution, repairing the broken roads, clearing the accumulated garbage, improving the health infrastructure among others.
Yadav said that Gupta’s comment that “rain is a natural occurrence, it is not as if there is a ‘Tawa’ (hot pan) beneath to make the water evaporate instantly,” was irresponsible and illogical as it only exposed the BJP Government’s unpreparedness to meet the challenges of monsoon, and when the situation goes out of control, blames the officials instead of the government taking the responsibility of not making adequate preparations.
