Sood warns MCD officials over cleanliness lapses

Delhi Urban Development Minister Asish Sood on Wednesday warned officials regarding cleanliness and waste management lapses and said the Delhi Government is committed to strengthening cleanliness and civic amenities across every part of Delhi.

He made this assertion after inaugurating the cleaning work of the approximately 6.85-kilometre-long trunk sewer line running from Jail Road to the Keshopur Sewer Treatment Plant. An expenditure of Rs 13 crore will be incurred on the cleaning of this sewer line.

This main line, with a diameter of about 1.5 metres, had not been cleaned for many years and had nearly 65 per cent silt deposition. As a result, areas such as Virender Nagar, Shiv Nagar, Hari Nagar, and several parts of Janakpuri were facing severe sewer overflow and drainage problems. In addition, Sood also inspected cleanliness and waste management in several blocks of Ward 104 in Janakpuri.

Sood informed that this trunk sewer line is being cleaned after many years, whereas, as per norms, desilting and cleaning must be carried out every five years. According to available records, only a small portion of this line was cleaned in 2013. After that, the work received no attention.

He also said that previous Governments did not show seriousness towards the cleaning of this trunk sewer line, due to which residents of the affected areas faced multiple issues for years.

The Urban Development Minister informed that the work will be carried out by temporarily diverting sewer flow between two manholes through a bypass line. All accumulated silt inside the pipeline will be removed using advanced machinery.

He further stated that the tendering process for this work has been completed. Sood added that once cleaned, the trunk sewer line will provide major relief from sewer overflow to thousands of residents of Virender Nagar, Shiv Nagar, the areas near Jail Road, some affected parts of Hari Nagar constituency, and A-Block, B-Block and several other areas of Janakpuri.

The Minister also informed that a new 200-meter sewer line is being laid under the District Centre metro station, which will further enhance the drainage capacity of the Janakpuri area.

Sood said that once the trunk line is cleaned, the sewer problem will improve significantly within the next six months. Thereafter, wherever local sewer lines are found broken or damaged, new lines will be laid immediately.

After this, Sood inspected many blocks of Ward 104 in Janakpuri and reviewed the cleanliness and waste management situation. During the inspection, the Minister also discussed various issues with officials and representatives of the waste management agency.

Residents of C-4/A Block informed the minister that waste often lies scattered around the local garbage collection point. There is no proper waste handling system at this site. They also highlighted issues like broken footpaths at several locations and uncovered drains. Sood instructed MCD and PWD officials on the spot to prepare a comprehensive plan for relocating garbage collection points of all wards in Janakpuri from residential areas to commercial locations.

Residents of C-4/E Block thanked the Minister for getting the overhead electricity cables of their block shifted underground. Shri Sood assured all residents of Janakpuri that the work of undergrounding overhead electricity lines throughout the constituency will be taken up on priority.

In response to requests from residents of Ward 104, the Minister also issued strict directions to officials regarding pruning of trees, proper maintenance of parks, upkeep and cleanliness of public toilets, road construction, and other civic works.

He said all such works must be completed on time, failing which strict action will follow. He added that he will revisit the area after 10 days to review the progress of the works.

The Urban Development Minister stated that, as per the directions of the Chief Minister, large-scale efforts are underway across Delhi to resolve challenges related to cleanliness and waste management. He himself has toured several wards of the West Delhi Parliamentary constituency over the past few days.

He added that it is the government’s firm commitment that all concessionaires must perform their waste collection duties properly. The Delhi Government is providing full support to the Municipal Corporation for resolving every issue whether it is manpower, resources, funds or direct assistance.

He further said that maintaining cleanliness is a collective responsibility of both the government and society, and with the cooperation of local residents, any area can truly become clean and beautiful.