New Delhi:
Every year when the monsoons arrive, it's the same old story in the national capital with massive traffic jams, huge amounts of waterlogging and long power outages. Last week, Delhi received an unprecedented amount of rainfall, leading to severe chaos.
A Delhi Court has asked all civic bodies to take action. "All agencies are to ensure storm water drains will be cleaned within one week. Work will be taken on a war footing. If we find waterlogging in any area, the agency/commissioner concerned shall file an explanation," it said.
The court's deadline ended yesterday.
Azad Singh, Mayor of the North Zone of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), claimed all work under the MCD was complete, and it was the Public Works Department (PWD) that was lagging behind.
When NDTV spoke to Raj Kumar Chauhan, PWD Minister, he said, "We made all payments to the MCD for dumping silt on its sites, but sadly the MCD was not cooperating".
There are 30,000 kms of drains in the capital, most of which come under the MCD. While some 1500 drains over 60 feet wide fall under the Public Works Department.
Last year, the civic agencies have spent Rs 23,000 crore on maintenance of drains, but urban planners like Sudhir Vohra say, 'unless all civic bodies come under one single form of governance, they will keep bickering and no work will be done'
However, it's not just drains that lead to massive waterlogging, but also the potholes on Delhi roads, are a menace during the monsoon. And this too is the shared responsibility of the PWD and the MCD. The PWD is responsible for some 2000 kms of roads in Delhi and spent over Rs 1800 crore last year to repair 674 roads. The three MCDs have under them 27,139 kms of roads.
The next hearing in the case is on August 7 and the court has threatened to summon all the commissioners if the capital is brought to a halt again.