By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: With the monsoon season approaching, Delhi’s preparedness drive has gathered significant momentum, as Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh reviewed extensive desilting operations and drainage improvement works during an on-ground inspection in the Moti Nagar Assembly constituency on Tuesday.
The review showcased the scale of the Delhi Government’s pre-monsoon campaign, with departments undertaking large-scale cleaning and infrastructure maintenance to minimize waterlogging and ensure smooth movement across the capital during heavy rains.
According to the latest PWD report, desilting has been completed on 1,900.15 km of drains out of a total network of 2,125.87 km, achieving nearly 90 per cent completion. The exercise is aimed at improving stormwater flow, preventing drain blockages and reducing water accumulation on major roads.
The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department has also recorded a major achievement, removing a record 30.91 lakh metric tonnes of silt this year, a sharp increase from around 19 lakh metric tonnes removed last year. The desilting work covered major drains, including the Najafgarh Drain and several supplementary channels, significantly enhancing the city’s drainage capacity and flood-management preparedness.
Reviewing the progress, Parvesh Sahib Singh said the government is relying on extensive field verification to ensure quality and accountability. Senior officers, Chief Engineers and field teams have been deployed across the city to inspect roads, drains and vulnerable locations before the onset of monsoon.
“Ground-level inspection is the real test of preparedness. Every road, drain and critical point is being physically reviewed to ensure that Delhi residents do not face waterlogging during the rains,” the Minister said.
He added that all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi would be inspected over the next 10 to 15 days, with immediate corrective measures being taken wherever shortcomings are identified.
Emphasising a proactive approach, the Minister said the government is focusing on prevention rather than crisis management through continuous monitoring, inter-departmental coordination and field-level supervision.
The ongoing inspections and record desilting figures underline the government’s efforts to build a cleaner, safer and more resilient Delhi ahead of the monsoon season, with a strong focus on improving drainage efficiency and ensuring uninterrupted public movement across the capital.
