Delhi govt completes 90 pc desilting of drains aims to tackle waterlogging ahead of monsoon

New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) The Delhi government has completed 90 per cent desilting of 76 drains under the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC) and around 50 per cent desilting work of Public Works Department (PWD) drains, officials said on Tuesday.
     Water Minister Parvesh Verma inspected the monsoon flood control room set up by the I&FC and directed the officials to submit 24/7 real-time progress reports on the cleaning of every drain in the control room.    
     "Our goal is not just to tackle rainfall but to restore the faith of Delhi’s residents that this year, they won’t face the same old problems. Our preparations are not limited to paperwork. They are happening on the ground. This time, people will see the difference. This is not just a promise, it’s our commitment,” Verma said.
     According to government officials, the work along the 2,100 kilometres of drains that come under the purview of the PWD has also progressed.     
     "Around 1100 km length of drains along the PWD roads has been desilted to date, for the remaining, work is also ongoing and we hope to meet the deadline set by the minister," a government official said.     
     Earlier this month, Verma had announced that the deadline to complete the desilting work is June 15. This is likely to be extended till June 20, officials added.     
     For better monitoring, the city has been divided into 35 zones, where desilting (silt cleaning) work is ongoing.
     To avoid waterlogging in the city, additional pump operators will be deployed in three shifts, 24/7, at each identified waterlogging point. The PWD is also repairing gates on drains to avoid backflow of rainwater during monsoon season. According to the PWD, 308 waterlogging points were identified in Delhi in 2023. Now, in 2025, based on data shared by the traffic police, a total of 445 waterlogging points have been identified in the capital. Of these, 335 points fall under the responsibility of PWD.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)