Delhi gets two months to file report on waterlogging

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The Delhi government was Tuesday given two months by the Delhi High Court to find solutions to and submit a report on waterlogging and flooding of roads in the city.

A division bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Vipin Sanghi allowed the submission of the Delhi government’s standing counsel Najmi Waziri for more time to file a status report.

The third meeting of a 15-member coordination committee, formed on the court’s orders, was scheduled Tuesday to prepare an action plan to prevent waterlogging.

“Government meetings have been held; various agencies have sought time to put forth short- and long-term plans to deal with waterlogging in the city. Status report to be filed within seven weeks by the committee showing what has been transpired,” the court said.

The court, seeking a status report, fixed Dec 14 as the next date of hearing.

Waziri, seeking more time for long-term measures, said: “Various agencies including the MCDs (municipal corporations of Delhi) will come forward with existing measures to handle waterlogging. The committee will also look into the suggestions from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) professors for drainage system in the city.”

The court in August had asked the Delhi government to form a committee of senior officers from various authorities to evolve a mechanism to de-silt drains and prevent waterlogging during rains.

Waziri also told the court that “the coordination committee, headed by chief secretary, comprises of heads of the trifurcated MCD, NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council), and other civic bodies to look into waterlogging, has held two meetings and will soon file status report on the issue.”

Besides the MCDs and NDMC, the committee includes officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), the Delhi Jal Board and irrigation department.

The court’s direction came on a bunch of public interest litigations that claimed the MCDs and PWD had done nothing significant after 1998 to properly de-silt drains, leading to waterlogging on major roads of the capital.

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