The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today chaired a high-level meeting today to review the progress of the Delhi Drainage Master Plan at the Delhi Secretariat to eliminate water logging problem in the capital.

During this meeting it was decided to rope in consultants to look after the Najafgarh Basin as well as the Trans-Yamuna and Barapulla Basin.

The CM laid focus on bringing the entire project under the purview of one agency. The meeting was also attended by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia who holds the PWD portfolio as well senior officials of the department.

Kejriwal said, “We’ve been working very hard to resolve Delhi’s drainage and water-logging problems. We should initiate discussions with all caretaker agencies and ask them to let us have charge of transforming the drainage system. The problem of drainage and waterlogging affects every citizen of Delhi.”

The CM directed officials to make necessary preparations to seek approvals from all concerned agencies so that the Delhi Government can adopt the responsibility of the whole project.

For this, the consultants will prepare blueprint for augmenting drainage systems and monitor implementation

The Delhi Government will appoint two consultants to look after the project. One consultant will handle the works of the Najafgarh basin. The second consultant will look after the Trans-Yamuna and Barapullah basins. They will prepare the blueprints for augmenting Delhi’s drainage systems and monitor the implementation work as well.

For this purpose, necessary changes will be made in every wastewater drain and stormwater drain, so that even during heavy rains, better drainage can be ensured and the problem of water logging can be resolved.

A separate project will be made for minor changes required in every drain in specific.

There are about 2,846 drains in Delhi. Their length totals to about 3,692 kilometres. A major part of these drains is with the Public Works Department (PWD) and the PWD is also its nodal department.

Delhi is divided into three major natural drainage basins. Trans Yamuna, Barapullah and Najafgarh. In addition, there are also some small drainage basins in Aruna Nagar and Chandrawal, which drain directly into the Yamuna.

Meanwhile, PWD has identified 147 hotspots of waterlogging and has started working on them.