New delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday held an inter-departmental meeting to review preparations for the upcoming monsoon, with Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar stressing coordination among authorities to prevent waterlogging.
The meeting, held under 'Operation Mission', focused on resolving issues related to waterlogging and desilting of drains ahead of the rains, an official statement said.
According to officials, the objective was to identify and address inter-departmental issues linked to waterlogging and desilting work to ensure effective arrangements before the onset of the monsoon.
"Delhi has 3,014 drains measuring four feet and above, with a combined length of nearly 3,737 kilometres, of which 793 fall under the jurisdiction of the MCD," the commissioner said.
He added that the civic body has completed nearly 65 per cent of the desilting work of its drains ahead of the monsoon season.
The commissioner said the PWD is responsible for maintaining 1,375 drains of four feet and above, accounting for around 55 per cent of the total major drains in the city.
He said the MCD has identified 215 drains where inter-departmental coordination is required to address waterlogging and desilting-related issues.
Joint inspections of these drains have been scheduled for May 19, and reports will be submitted to higher authorities by May 21, officials said.
Khirwar said that field-level coordination is essential to effectively tackle waterlogging and asked departments to pay special attention to drain merging points, which are prone to water accumulation during heavy rainfall.
He also called on agencies to work in a planned and systematic manner by learning from past experiences and identifying vulnerable locations in advance.
Expressing confidence in the preparedness efforts, the commissioner said better planning and coordination among agencies would help Delhi avoid major waterlogging problems during the upcoming monsoon season.
According to the statement, senior officials of the MCD and representatives from various agencies, including the Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), attended the meeting.