CM Rekha Gupta inspects major drains, orders desilting before monsoon'

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday inspected major drains across the city and directed officials to ensure their desilting before the monsoon.

The chief minister was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma, and other officials.

Gupta criticised the previous governments for neglecting the drains, which she said led to waterlogging and sewage overflow on the roads.

"These drains were not taken seriously by the previous governments. When big drains like these are not cleaned, it is obvious that sewage will flow out," the chief minister said, stressing the urgent need for action to prevent flooding during the rains.

Gupta, who visited the Sunheri, Barapulla, and Kushak drains, noted a lack of coordination among the agencies responsible for their maintenance.

"There was no clarity between the agencies on who will clean and maintain the drains. We have now given the responsibility to the Flood and Irrigation Department. It will be the agency responsible for the timely desilting of the drains. A plan and budget will be allocated for the work," she announced.

Speaking to reporters, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said, "The newly formed government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has promised to ensure that there is no waterlogging during the rains. We inspected major drains, including in Barapulla, Sunehri and a drain near Dayal Singh College. The chief minister has given certain instructions to the concerned departments. The work is being done in a coordinated manner and on mission mode."

The chief minister said it is important to prepare in advance. "These drains should be cleaned before monsoon so that they can carry water during the rains. Nothing happens in a single day. We have to start a summer action plan and a winter plan to tackle pollution today itself."

She also outlined her government's strategy for ensuring efficient governance. "All ministers have been given missions, and all our MLAs are designated with public works," she said.

Gupta said Delhi has been developed in an unplanned manner. "There are no chambers in the drains, or proper outlets for them. All these cannot be solved by sitting in air-conditioned rooms or holding press conferences. We have been working as a team since morning to check the outlets of the drains, to ensure that Delhi people do not have to face problems like waterlogging."

The Chief Minister said she has ensured that necessary steps will be taken to prevent waterlogging, an issue that affected the city during past mentions.

The condition of Delhi's drainage system was a key issue in the recent Assembly elections, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) decade-long rule. The BJP won 48 out of 70 seats, reducing AAP to just 22, marking a significant political shift in the national capital.