The Delhi government has taken extensive measures to eliminate the problem of water-logging in the national capital during monsoon.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a high-level review meeting at the secretariat with senior officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) in the presence of Minister Parvesh Verma and Chief Secretary Dharmendra.

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The current status of Delhi’s water-logging vulnerable points was discussed in the meeting along with measures to mitigate the problem. Drain cleaning was also a point of discussion during the meeting to ensure smooth flow of rain water.

The condition of the city’s roads were also reviewed in view of the monsoon and necessary steps to maintain them timely were talked about.

Under the guidance of 0Parvesh Verma, Public Works Department (PWD) has developed a comprehensive strategy at the ground level to make the city free from water-logging, and this time, the government’s approach is crystal clear, that is no negligence, strict monitoring and accountability to be ensured at every point.

Speaking on the occasion, Verma said, “Freeing Delhi from water-logging 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.”

As per the department, daily monitoring of all the water-logging points will be conducted, and reports will be sent directly to the Water Minister.

According to the minister, the government is prepared to address the challenge with full force ahead of the first rainfall of the monsoon.

According to the PWD, 308 water-logging points were identified in Delhi during 2023, and the number decreased to 194 in 2024, while 57 points were common in both the years.

Talking of 2025, based on the data shared by the Traffic Police, a total of 445 waterlogging points have been identified in the national capital, and out of these 335 fall under PWD’s responsibilty.

Accordingly, the department has appointed Assistant Engineers (AE) and Junior Engineers (JE) as local in-charge for all 335 points.

These engineers have been given full responsibility for monitoring water drainage systems, equipment availability, site supervision, and emergency response. All of them have been tasked with ensuring that all necessary preparations are completed well before the monsoon arrives.

In addition, seven critical water-logging points will be directly monitored by the Engineer-in-Chief, while special attention will be given to these points to ensure that no oversight or negligence occurs.

0WD Minister Verma has given clear instructions that if any water-logging occurs at any of the identified points during the monsoon, strict disciplinary action will be taken against the responsible engineer, which will include suspension.

To ensure that the preparations are foolproof, a project engineer has been designated as the “Review Officer” who would oversee the entire logistics system and compile monitoring reports.

Pump operators will be deployed in three shifts, round the clock, at every water-logging point, and the government will also arrange for temporary accommodation for these operators during the monsoon period, so that rapid action can be taken if required.

The officials have informed that work on improving the city’s drainage system is progressing at a fast pace, with the city divided into 35 zones, where de-silting (silt cleaning) work has commenced.

As per official data, so far, 50 kilometers of drains have been cleaned, with a target to complete the desilting of 1400 kilometers of drains by May 31, while all the concerned agencies are coordinating efforts to speed up the work.