PWD completes only 60 per cent desilting work in Delhi, deadline extended to June 30

The Public Works Department (PWD) has completed only 60 per cent of the desilting work of drains under its jurisdiction, with the June 15 deadline now over, an official report said.

Earlier this month, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma had set June 15 as the deadline to complete the desilting of all PWD-managed drains ahead of the monsoon.

The department has completed desilting for 1,294 km as of Tuesday, out of the total 2,140 km drain length under it, the latest status report said.

Among the 17 PWD divisions, only the South West Region-2 (SWR-2) has completed 100 per cent desilting, while the West Road-2 division has shown the poorest performance with only 31 per cent work completed.

The deadline for completion of desilting work has now been extended to June 30, an official said.

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During an inspection of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department’s control room on June 10, Verma had said the Delhi government had completed 90 per cent of desilting work for 76 drains under the (I&FC) and around 50 per cent of work on PWD drains.

For better monitoring, the city has been divided into 35 zones where desilting is currently underway.

According to the PWD, 308 waterlogging points were identified in Delhi in 2023. Based on new data shared by the traffic police, a total of 445 such points have been identified this year, of which 335 fall under the responsibility of the PWD.

Additional pump operators are being deployed in three shifts round-the-clock at each vulnerable point, to further address waterlogging issue in the city.