Delhi’s Education and Home Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday instructed various agencies to coordinate closely and prioritise the completion of all necessary works. He issued these directives after conducting an inspection of Pankha Road and surrounding areas falling under his Janakpuri Assembly constituency.
During the visit, he issued clear instructions to the Traffic Police, BSES, Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Irrigation and Flood Control Department, and other concerned agencies to coordinate closely and prioritise the completion of all necessary works.
Sood specifically emphasised the need for a regular cleaning plan for the large drain under the jurisdiction of the Flood Department on Pankha Road. He directed officials from the Flood Department and MCD to jointly prepare a detailed plan and submit it within a week.
Additionally, the Minister highlighted the poor state of two large garbage dumping sites near C-1 and Chanakya Place, located right along the roadside. He noted that the heaps of waste were causing foul smell, unsanitary conditions, and health hazards for commuters and nearby residents.
Sood instructed the authorities to develop proposals for transforming these areas into green zones by installing steel grills and ensuring regular garbage removal. While reviewing the condition of the drain, he also noted the hindrance caused by overhead power cables during cleaning operations. He directed BSES officials to explore the possibility of underground cables. An engineer from the Flood Control Department briefed the Minister about a plan to install pipelines beneath the land adjacent to the garbage dumps, which would help redirect rainwater into the drain during monsoon season. Sood further directed the department to construct a boundary wall along the road beside the garbage sites.
Local residents informed the Minister about the issue of illegal parking of vehicles around the drain area, which often leads to traffic congestion. Taking swift action, Sood summoned officials from the Traffic Police and MCD on-site and instructed them to conduct regular patrolling and take strict action such as issuing challans or towing away the illegally parked vehicles.
He also asked the traffic inspector to prepare a comprehensive plan within a week to address the issue of unauthorised parking. During the inspection, the Minister observed that the entry gates of 20-foot road in Chanakya Place and Sitapuri were in a dilapidated condition, posing serious safety risks. He ordered PWD officials to begin immediate repair and reconstruction work on both entry points. Sood said Pankha Road is not only a key route in West Delhi but also one of the busiest roads in the area.
