Encroachment of drains widespread in city, legislative framework needed to tackle problem: Chief Secy

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) The problem of encroachment of drains in the city is so "widespread" that the problem cannot be controlled without a proper legislative framework, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has said citing the Old Rajinder Nagar incident in which three UPSC aspirants drowned in a flooded basement library of a coaching centre.

Kumar in reply to a note of Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj requested him on Tuesday to move the file on drainage plan recommendations for Delhi, including need of a 'Storm Water and Drainage Act for Delhi' so that draft of the legislation could be initiated by the Irrigation and Flood Control department.

The recommended 'Storm Water and Drainage Act' for Delhi is proposed to have provisions for penalties on encroachment, dumping of construction, municipal and industrial solid waste in the city's drains.

The chief secretary in his note to Bharadwaj, who is also Irrigation and Flood Control minister, said that the file was pending with him since August 2023.

Citing a MCD report on the Rajinder Nagar incident on Saturday evening, Kumar said, "The photos of the site of the unfortunate incident shows as to how storm water drainage system at that place was encroached by the owner/occupier of the building." Such a situation exists in whole of the city. "In the absence of legislative framework namely 'storm Water and Drainage Act for NCT of Delhi' such widespread bockage in the storm water drainage system could not be controlled," said the chief secretary.

Due to this problem whenever there is heavy rainfall in Delhi, many places in the city get flooded, he said.

It is not out of context to mention that a Storm Water and Drainage Act for Delhi, with penal provisions, would have a direct impact on rain water discharge in Delhi, the chief secretary emphasised.

The MCD report said that property owners in Old Rajinder Nagar constructed ramps and covered the drain with granite and marble leaving no scope for their cleaning and restricting flow of rainwater into it.

Bharadwaj in his note to the chief secretary said that he confirmed with Irrigation and Flood Control department's principal secretary that no decision was pending on his part regarding the file. PTI VIT AS AS