The Delhi government on Friday held a high-level emergency meeting to address the issue of waterlogging following heavy rains in the city.
The meeting was attended by Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, Gopal Rai, and Imran Hussain and important officials of different departments.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Delhi Minister Bharadwaj said a 24-hour control room would be set up to monitor the situation arising from waterlogging in the city.
The meeting was held after Delhi witnessed heavy downpours touted to be the highest in 24 hours for the past 88 years with the city receiving 228 mm of rain.
In the meeting held to review the situation of the city after the rain, several important decisions were taken including the setting up of a Control Room of Public Works Department (PWD), in which officers will be present 24 hours, the minister added.
Officials from the MCD, PWD, and Flood Control Department will be present in this control room, the minister said, adding all the pumps of all departments should be checked by 10 pm to ensure that none of them has any fault.
Mobile pumps will also be reviewed, and all the departments will form a Quick Response Team (QRT) as well.
According to Delhi Water Minister Atihsi, Delhi received 228 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, such heavy rain had not occurred in the last 88 years.
She said when such a large amount of rainfall occurs; it takes some time for the water to flow out through the drains. Hence, the water accumulated on the roads recedes slowly as it flows out through those drains which had already been overflowing due to draining out water more than their capacity in such a situation.
She further said that the city receives around 800 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season, and added that 25 per cent of the rain has occurred in the last 24 hours alone, due to which, waterlogging occurred at many places in the city.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been given instructions that across 11 places in Delhi, there should be recycler machines purchased that can remove bigger blockages.
These recyclers will be installed in every zone of DJB so that if the drain gets filled with water and mud due to lack of stormwater drain, it can be cleaned, Bharadwaj said.
The Traffic Police, MLAs, and councilors have been asked to provide a list of possible waterlogging places in their respective areas, the minister added.
Other than this, the Sewage Department has been asked to arrange for contractual labour.
She informed that the maximum amount of rain occurred in South Delhi resulting in waterlogging at some places in the area. She said a wall of the Barapullah drain was broken resulting in overflow, and agencies have been deployed to fix the problem there, she added.
Bharadwaj informed that a common control room has been set up by the PWD regarding water logging and one can inform about the problem and related issue on 1800110093, and also WhatsApp on 8130188222 to inform the authorities.
The Delhi government said due to the record rainfall last night in Delhi, resulting in waterlogging at many places, the ministers and MLAs came on the ground and solved the problems faced by people, staying on the spot with the locals for hours.