The Delhi unit of Congress on Thursday blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for reported water-logging in various parts of the city, in the wake of heavy downpour last evening.
The party also demanded resignation of Delhi Water Minister Atishi over waterlogging and rain-related deaths due.
“Delhi was water-logged following heavy rains last evening, holding up traffic for several hours in most busy roads of including ITO, Mathura Road, Tilak Bridge ane Minto Road etc. It is a matter of grave concern that the court had taken cognizance of the waterlogging in Delhi because of the inefficiency and inaction of the government,” Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said.
He said, “last evening rains also claimed the lives of four people, as a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire in South West Delhi’s Bindapur, a 62-year-old man lost his life in a building collapse in the Sabji Mandi area, a 23-year-old woman and her 3-year-old son drowned in a waterlogged drain at Ghazipur in East Delhi. The Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) cannot escape blame for such mishaps.”
Attacking the AAP, the Delhi Congress chief said, “It was unfortunate and irresponsible on the parts of the Delhi Ministers that they were still indulging in blame games. Instead of taking emergency steps to prevent the recurrence of flooding after the first two heavy monsoon spells had created water-logging leading to the death of four Civil Services aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar, and nearly 19 deaths overall in the past one month, due to drowning and electrocution.”
“In the past 10 years, the AAP government has taken no step to replace the aging drainage infrastructure as the Chief Minister, Ministers and its Mayor are blaming the officials and others,” Yadav said.
Taking a jibe at BJP, he said, “The BJP cannot escape blame either, as the question arises what was the seven BJP MPs from Delhi doing to improve the civic infrastructure from MP funds, despite the BJP being in power at the Centre, and in the MCD till last year.”