Delhi Lieutenant Governor convenes emergency meeting after rainfall, directs to establish 24/7 control room

New Delhi, June 28

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday convened an emergency meeting to review the situation after rain lashed the national capital in the early morning hours and directed agencies to establish an emergency control room to be manned 24 hours.

All the concerned departments of Delhi government were called for the emergency meeting including Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department (PWD), Irrigation and Flood Control (I & FC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and National Disaster Response Force. Raj Niwas officials said the meeting reflected on issues arising out of severe waterlogging, overflow of unsilted drains and backflow of clogged sewer lines in the wake of pre-monsoon rains in the city.

Senior officials from all the concerned departments will be deputed in the emergency room. “Wide publicity of control room number be given for common citizens to make telephonic calls to report incidents of waterlogging.” Saxena said.

Saxena also reviewed the preparedness and emergency response of various departments to deal with the situation, as indeed the monsoon season is yet to fully set in, officials added.

The LG taking note of the preparedness expressed the lack of preparedness for the emergency response system in the eventuality of excessive rainfall and resultant waterlogging across the city.

The desilting works had yet not been completed and the Flood Control Order had yet not been issued was discussed during the meeting, the official added.

The LG has also directed that all static pumps of PWD, I & FC, MCD, DDA and NDMC be tested and made functional with a matrix of field staff deployed for energising pumps on a 24×7 basis.

“Mobile pumps must be utilised as and when required. Additional pumps should be procured and deployed in low lying areas, particularly the unauthorised colonies historically prone to waterlogging and underpasses and tunnels. Remaining desilting works of all drains to be undertaken by all concerned agencies on an emergency basis over the next one week. Debris along the drains to be removed immediately. All kinds of obstructions in free flow of water in open drains to be removed,” officials pointed out the LG’s directions.

Saxena has directed the traffic police to issue regular advisories in case of water logging at critical locations.