New Delhi: The national capital is bracing for the much-awaited monsoon. Delhi has been suffering from extreme heat for months, even dealing with health issues due to the heatwave. Many residents ended up in hospitals, while several deaths allegedly due to the heatwave were also reported. The recent rain in Delhi, as well as in Noida and Gurugram, adjacent to the national capital, has brought much relief to people. With the onset of the monsoon, several instances of waterlogging have been reported. To avoid such issues when the rain intensifies, various agencies are putting last-minute touches to their plans.
The city is expecting heavy to very heavy rain this weekend, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The monsoon current could arrive in the national capital by the end of this week, bringing relief from the prevailing sultry conditions, the private weather agency Skymet forecasted on Wednesday.
Control Rooms Set Up, Waterlogging-Prone Areas Spotted
As many as six control rooms with over 160 pumps have been set up by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to prevent waterlogging in Lutyens' Delhi. The officials have also installed CCTV cameras at known waterlogging spots. These spots will be monitored from the Integrated Command Control Centre at Palika Kendra throughout the day.
Five areas prone to water stagnation—Panchkuian Road, Purana Quila Road, Africa Avenue, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and Lodhi Estate—have been identified based on feedback from the public and traffic police. Drainage control rooms are operational at Sangli Mess, Khan Market, Netaji Nagar, Malcha Marg, Mandir Marg, and Connaught Place.
Staff to Work Round the Clock for Receiving Complaints
The staff will be deployed round the clock for waterlogging complaints. The agency is focusing on cleaning the drainage system, scheduled for completion by June 30. There are 14 drainage systems across NDMC, covering a total of 270.82 km in transverse drainage lines.
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The Public Works Department, responsible for many roads, has repaired permanent pumps and procured temporary ones for water drainage. Last year, Delhi Traffic Police identified 308 waterlogging spots, with 40 needing engineering solutions and others requiring maintenance like debris removal.
CCTV feeds from waterlogging spots will be monitored at control rooms and accessible on officials' phones to monitor conditions. Maintenance vans and teams will be deployed across Delhi during the monsoon. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has almost completed 95 per cent of drain desilting work. Their target is full completion by June 30, managing over 20,884 drains less than four feet deep and 713 deeper drains through departmental cleaning and tender processes.