With monsoon knocking at the Capital's doorstep, the civic administration is yet to wake up to the reality of desilting drains in North and East Delhi what with garbage in drains in the aftermath of a massive strike led by safai karamcharis.
The strike has made matters worse for the civic agencies and the Public Works Department (PWD). With no roadmap for monsoon management, clogged drains choked with silt might be the biggest obstruction for Delhiites this monsoon.
Following the massive strike, the MCD is busy removing garbage pileup from streets, which in turn has affected desilting work. The PWD, however, blamed the MCD saying it will have to begin the desilting process all over again. The process of desilting costs Rs35 crore every year, but will now cost around Rs4 crore, said an official. Areas like Patparganj, Seemapuri, Seelampur, Shahdra, Nand Nagri, Bhajanpura and Khajuri have clogged drains. Garbage, including plastic, has choked the drains.
While some officials in the municipal corporation have claimed that the desilting process is on at fast pace, the reality on ground is something else. A light spell of rain last week submerged main roads and threw traffic out of gear in the Capital. The civic agencies have begun desilting stormwater drains but have not repaired the surface design of roads to reduce water accumulation.
During a discussion on the issue, the leader of the House and BJP councillors said the pace of work was extremely fast and will be completed soon. But officials in PWD questioned it saying that the recent strike has been the main reason for clogged drains, hence, the desiltation will take a longer span to be complete.