New Delhi, July 20 (IANS). Delhi Lieutenant Governor TS Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday reviewed the preparations to deal with heavy rains and the plan to prevent urban floods in the meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority.
In the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor warned the officials that if the instructions given to stop waterlogging were not followed, then accountability of the concerned officials would be fixed. Officials told in the meeting that in the last one year, the number of waterlogged places in Delhi has reduced significantly.
According to the official statement, there were 194 waterlogged places in the year 2024, which will reduce to 169 in 2025. At the same time, only 34 such places have been revealed so far in 2026.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of formation of State Disaster Response Force in the capital.
Minister Pravesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Chief Secretary, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Additional Chief Secretary (Irrigation and Flood Control), MCD Commissioner, Vice Chairman of DDA, Divisional Commissioner and senior officials of other related departments including Public Works Department, Home, Transport and Fire Department were present in the meeting.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the flood and waterlogging situation in the city has improved significantly this year compared to 2024 and 2025, but there is still scope for further improvement.
He said that the Meteorological Department has predicted the possibility of sudden and heavy rain, hence it should be ensured that waterlogging in the city is minimal or not there at all.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the problem of waterlogging in Delhi has been going on for a long time. He directed the officials to continue working on the long-term drainage master plan and implement short-term measures with all seriousness.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed satisfaction over the work of cleaning (de-silting) of drains done so far, but directed that the silt removed should also be disposed of immediately.
He also said that no drain, sewer line or manhole should be left open and potholes on the road should be filled immediately.
The issue of dangerous trees falling during rains and storms was also raised in the meeting. It was emphasized that instead of taking action after the accident, such trees should be identified and removed in advance.
Expressing serious concern over this issue, the Chief Minister directed the officials to identify dangerous trees and remove them on priority basis, so that any loss of life can be prevented.
–IANS
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