He visited Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri, Sarojini Nagar, Lodhi Colony, Golf Links, Khan Market, Janpath, Minto Road, and Bharti Nagar, where waterlogging issues have disrupted normal life.
Photo: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay on Friday conducted an on-site inspection of areas severely affected by the heavy rainfall in the city.
He visited Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri, Sarojini Nagar, Lodhi Colony, Golf Links, Khan Market, Janpath, Minto Road, and Bharti Nagar, where waterlogging issues have disrupted normal life.
“I personally motivated our staff and assessed the on-ground situation. I deeply regret the inconvenience caused to the residents of Delhi due to today’s heavier-than-expected rainfall and the resulting waterlogging,” Upadhyay said in a statement.
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The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vice-chairman highlighted several technical failures contributing to the waterlogging.
“At Minto Road, waterlogging was exacerbated due to the malfunctioning pumps managed by the PWD/Delhi Government. Similarly, in Lodhi Colony and Golf Links, the Khushak Nala pumps, also under PWD/Delhi Government management, malfunctioned, leading to significant water accumulation.
“The situation worsened in areas where the NDMC and MCD jurisdictions connect due to non-operational PWD/Delhi Government pumps, causing backflow and water inflow from surrounding regions like Paharganj into the NDMC area,” the statement said.
Upadhyay criticised the Delhi Government “for their lack of timely action and preparedness, deeming their response inadequate for the monsoon season”.
He said today’s rainfall exceeded expectations and stressed the need for proactive measures to prevent future incidents.
Upadhyay noted that, according to the Delhi government’s own figures, out of 713 drains, only about 200 approx were cleaned prior to the water crisis, leading to backflow into the NDMC areas.
He criticized the Delhi government for not taking the issue seriously, stating, “This is the first government that fails to govern effectively. Instead of addressing the problem, they are only engaged in blame games. If the Delhi government had cleaned all their drains on time, the NDMC would not have faced such severe backflow issues.”
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