MCD breaches deadline for desilting of all major drains

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has failed to meet its June 15 deadline for desilting all major drains in preparation for the monsoon.As of June 18, MCD has completed desilting of 259 out of the 713 drains that are more than four feet deep and which cover an area of 466.5km. Work is on at 426 locations.According to an MCD report, 72,412.6 metric tonnes of silt have been removed from all 713 drains, which is 92.7% of the 78,062 MT target that was set for June 15.Raja Iqbal Singh, leader of the opposition, said: "So far, 92.7% of the work has been done and it will take another week to 10 days to meet the target set for Phase I. MCD had initially set May 30 as the deadline for completing the desilting, which was later extended to June 15. However, after breaching both deadlines, AAP in MCD has not provided a new deadline and is simply assuring that arrangements to deal with waterlogging (will be done),” Singh said.Mayor Shelly Oberoi held a meeting with officials on Tuesday to assess the current situation and to ensure timely completion of the work. In a press conference following the meeting, she said that MCD has made extensive preparations to tackle waterlogging during the upcoming rainy season. "From the last month, we have been continuously holding meetings with officials regarding monsoon preparations and steps have been taken as per the monsoon action plan in all zones," she said.In addition to the 713 drains that are more than four feet deep, there are approximately 21,000 drains less deep, spanning 6,600km in length. MCD conducts cleaning in all big and small drains in two phases, with a total target of collecting 1,27,368 MT of silt. The first phase, aimed at collecting 78,062 MT before the onset of the monsoon, while the second phase targets the removal of 49,305.8 MT until Jan 15, 2025.The mayor announced that the desilting work for drains more than four feet deep is nearly complete as 92-93% of the work finished.For drains less than four feet, 85% of cleaning work has been accomplished, MCD said. “To address waterlogging issues, a quick response team has been established, with a nodal officer appointed for each zone to identify and monitor waterlogging-prone areas and make arrangements for prevention,” she said.During the monsoon, the mayor mentioned that staff will be present 24x7 at all permanent pumping stations. The corporation has 70-80 permanent pumps and 450-500 temporary pumps.Oberoi said: "We held a meeting with Delhi govt ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj regarding monsoon preparations last week, in which various agencies such as DDA, PWD, irrigation and flood control department, etc. participated and all assured us that they would work in coordination."Mukesh Goyal, leader of the House, said that last year flood-like conditions were seen in Delhi as soon as the monsoon began in July. He emphasised that attention is being given to hotspots that experienced acute waterlogging last year.