The civic agencies in the Capital, including the three Municipal Corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), faced the ire of the Delhi High Court over persistent waterlogging and consequent traffic jams in the Capital.
The court flayed the authorities and directed them to clean the storm-water drains within a week. A division bench of acting Chief Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru passed the direction following an assurance from the Urban Development and PWD Departments of the Delhi Government, NDMC, three MCDs and Delhi Jal Board (DJB), on a PIl against slackness on part of these bodies causing waterlogging in the city.
“If there is any waterlogging, the concerned Commissioner shall file an explanation in two weeks why there was waterlogging,” the bench said. “The situation has remained the same for the last 30 years. All parties say that there is no technical impediment to cleaning and de-silting of the drains. So why does the problem persistIJ What have the civic bodies done till nowIJ” asked the bench.
Noting that despite court’s earlier directions, the authorities failed to prevent waterlogging in the city, the bench slammed the Government bodies saying, “We see the same thing happening here. Each year, we come across the same waterlogging problem. There was water in the drawing rooms of some judges too. If it happens in VIP areas, then other areas would be terrible.”
The court also expressed its anguish over the Government placing “incorrect” photographs before and after de-silting process. “Photographs, submitted to the court, of before and after de-silting of drains is actually the same picture rotated 180 degree. It is mockery of court,” the bench slammed the Government bodies. The court has sought “proper” pictures on the next date of hearing.
The bench also asked IIT Professor AK Gosain, who is a member of the court-appointed experts committee, to deal with the problem and to be present in the court on August 7 which is the next date of hearing on the matter, to give suggestions.
The PIl was filed by NGO Nyaya Bhoomi through its President BB Sharan seeking de-silting of drains to end the problem of waterlogging in the Capital. Earlier, the court had set up a committee of experts to find short-term and long-term measures to solve the problem.