New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) As part of measures to tackle waterlogging during monsoon, PWD and Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Thursday announced a plan to tackle the problem at 445 trouble spots identified with the help of the traffic police.
He said out of the identified spots, 335 points fall under the responsibility of PWD, he said, adding that work to address the problem has been completed at 284 spots.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also called a meeting with Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Verma to instruct officials responsible for the seven very critical waterlogging points to present an action plan within a week.
According to PWD, 308 waterlogging points were identified in Delhi in 2023. This number decreased to 194 in 2024, with 57 points being common in both years. Now, in 2025, based on data shared by the traffic police, a total of 445 waterlogging points have been identified in the capital.
Verma said he has appointed Assistant Engineers (AE) and Junior Engineers (JE) as local in-charges for all 335 points.
“These engineers are fully responsible for monitoring water drainage systems, equipment availability, site supervision, and emergency response. They are tasked with ensuring that all necessary preparations are completed well before the monsoon,” he said.
He has given instructions that if any waterlogging occurs at any of the identified points during the monsoon, strict disciplinary action will be taken against the responsible engineer, including suspension.
For every point, a Project Engineer has been designated as the “Review Officer” who will oversee the entire logistics system and compile monitoring reports, he said.
Additionally, pump operators will be deployed in three shifts, 24/7, at each waterlogging point. Temporary accommodation will be arranged for these operators during the monsoon period, so that rapid action can be taken if required, he said.
Verma said work on improving the city’s drainage system is progressing rapidly. The city has been divided into 35 zones, where desilting (silt cleaning) work has begun.
“So far, 50 kilometres of drains have been cleaned, with a target to complete the desilting of 1,400 kilometres by April 31,” he said.
“Freeing Delhi from waterlogging is not just a goal; it is our responsibility. We have made engineers accountable at every point, and we have clearly instructed them that any negligence will result in suspension. Ensuring that the public does not face any inconvenience is our top priority,” he said.
According to PWD officials, daily monitoring of all waterlogging points will be conducted, and reports will be sent directly to the Water Minister.
–IANS
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