Delhi Lt Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has instructed officials to immediately desilt and clean INA drain located in the middle of several residential and commercial localities. It suffers from heavy encroachments and unscientifically laid pillar beams in its right of way. Once cleaned, this will lead to relief in neighbourhood areas like Sewa Nagar, South Extension, Ansari Nagar, AIIMS flyover and Dilli Haat, Raj Niwas officials said here on Wednesday.

Giving details of Saxena’s orders, they said that the LG visited the site on Tuesday, adding it was the first visit to the area by any high ranking dignitary during the last 10 years. This Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) drain, not cleaned and desilted for several years, is filled with thousands of tonnes of garbage and construction debris.

Following Saxena’s inspection, the de-silting operation commenced with use of heavy machinery at three different spots of the drain in the area on Tuesday. MCD officials estimated that the drain contained over 50,000 tonnes of waste, which included garbage and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Despite the significant challenge, over a thousand tonnes of debris were removed on the first day alone and will continue till the drain is totally cleaned.

This 6.5-km-long drain, which feeds into the Kushak Drain and eventually enters the Yamuna River is heavily clogged with garbage, over flowing sewage and monsoon rainwater. Apart from heavy encroachment of its embankment, legacy structural fault by way of closely placed pillars in the drains right of way, not only affect the flow of water but also makes de-silting difficult.

In turn, this clogged drain causes heavy water logging, back flow and over flow in areas like INA Market, Sewa Nagar, Sadiq Nagar, Ansari Nagar, South Ex I and AIIMS crossing on Ring Road amongst others.

Heavy machinery was also deployed after breaking portions of the side walls of the INA drain to access it. The LG instructed officials to create a permanent ramp alongside the drain to facilitate future cleaning operations. Saxena was informed that informal settlements (Jhuggis) located at the banks of the MCD’s INA Drain were contributing to the significant pollution of the drain by dumping large quantities of garbage and sewage directly into it. Some Jhuggis had extended right into the way of the drain as well.

He instructed the MCD officials to construct a fence around the drain to prevent people from dumping waste into it.  It may be noted that de-silting of the Kushak Drain, into which the INA drain feeds, had begun on August 4 following a previous visit by the LG.

This project marks the fifth drain after Shahadra, Kushak, Sunehri Nallah and Barapulla Drains that the LG has inspected and instructed for cleaning. By addressing the desilting and cleaning of these drains, the LG aims to mitigate the chronic problem of water logging and sewer over flow in neighbouring areas that house lakhs of Delhi residents, apart from housing many a commercial hubs and hospitals.