New Delhi: The Public Works Department has started work on desilting stormwater drains before the monsoon. According to officials, special conditions to remove the silt thus collected have also been spelt out.
The work had started in south Delhi and the three other zones under PWD would be covered subsequently in a phased manner, an official told TOI.While govt bodies, such as PWD and DJB, come up with a monsoon action plan every year, another reality is that traffic police and PWD itself identify over 100 waterlogging hotspots where heavy flooding is witnessed, wreaking havoc on traffic movement.
There are 1,037 stormwater drains along the PWD-managed road network of 1,400km.
The official deadline for completing the desilting work is end of May. However, after last year’s loss of face, the agency plans to start the work sooner. In 2023, the capital faced an unprecedented crisis after an overflowing Yamuna flooded large swathes of north and Central Delhi. The drainage system couldn’t handle the pressure and malfunctioned in several areas.
“The disposal of silt/sludge to the authorised MCD dumping ground shall be done through mechanical transport for disposal. Also, the waste should be disposed of from the site within 36 hours from the time of intimation from the engineer,” stated the special condition, which is part of the project plan.
PWD, which manages a significant network of roads in the city, is still to start implementing its drainage master plan. On Jan 16, 2024, Delhi High Court had directed top government officials to start work on monsoon preparedness and explain how different departments planned to tackle the waterlogging problem.
Usually, the approach of PWD is to identify waterlogging hotspots and take preventive steps. However, there is still no overall drainage plan for the city and the network’s revamp continues to hang fire. Last year, PWD had identified 151 waterlogging hotspots in the capital and is said to be working on boosting the infrastructure.
The work had started in south Delhi and the three other zones under PWD would be covered subsequently in a phased manner, an official told TOI.While govt bodies, such as PWD and DJB, come up with a monsoon action plan every year, another reality is that traffic police and PWD itself identify over 100 waterlogging hotspots where heavy flooding is witnessed, wreaking havoc on traffic movement.
There are 1,037 stormwater drains along the PWD-managed road network of 1,400km.
The official deadline for completing the desilting work is end of May. However, after last year’s loss of face, the agency plans to start the work sooner. In 2023, the capital faced an unprecedented crisis after an overflowing Yamuna flooded large swathes of north and Central Delhi. The drainage system couldn’t handle the pressure and malfunctioned in several areas.
“The disposal of silt/sludge to the authorised MCD dumping ground shall be done through mechanical transport for disposal. Also, the waste should be disposed of from the site within 36 hours from the time of intimation from the engineer,” stated the special condition, which is part of the project plan.
PWD, which manages a significant network of roads in the city, is still to start implementing its drainage master plan. On Jan 16, 2024, Delhi High Court had directed top government officials to start work on monsoon preparedness and explain how different departments planned to tackle the waterlogging problem.
Usually, the approach of PWD is to identify waterlogging hotspots and take preventive steps. However, there is still no overall drainage plan for the city and the network’s revamp continues to hang fire. Last year, PWD had identified 151 waterlogging hotspots in the capital and is said to be working on boosting the infrastructure.