The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will spend `35 crore to improve sanitation in over 1,000 unauthorised colonies by strengthening the drainage system. The move comes after the Delhi Government gave green signal to the works.
“The drainage system in unauthorised colonies in SDMC area was lying in a state of neglect as the civic body was not allowed to spend non plan fund there. Now we have received permission from the Delhi Government to do work there,” said South Delhi mayor Subhash Arya.
The SDMC will spend `35 crore on repairs and maintenance as well as desilting of drains in all wards of elected councillors, he said. There are a total of 1,008 unauthorised colonies located under South, Central, West and Najafgarh zones of SDMC divided into 104 wards.
The civic body is in constant touch with the Delhi Government regarding development works in unauthorised colonies, particularly drainage system, and letters were written for funds in this regard, Arya said. “We had also announced in our Budget that repair and desilting works will be taken up in unauthorised colonies at priority level. However, the work was stalled due to unavailability of funds and permission of Government,” he said.
Now, SDMC will spend `35 crore from its own funds to start the work, he said. All the elected councillors have been asked to contact engineering department’s junior engineers to improve drainage system in their respective wards, he added.