New Delhi, Focused on the upcoming monsoon season, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Thursday held a meeting to discuss measures for tackling waterlogging, improving sanitation and ensuring public safety.
Emphasising the importance of execution and coordination, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar directed officers to ensure that no area is left neglected due to delays or inefficiencies.
This was the first such meeting chaired within the MCD to discuss monsoon preparedness through a comprehensive briefing and interactive session.
Key issues discussed during the session included desilting of the drains under the MCD’s jurisdiction to prevent waterlogging, appointment of nodal officers for waterlogging-prone areas, mapping of drainage systems on both sides of affected locations and deployment of labour gangs and supervisory staff at vulnerable points.
The discussions also covered the round-the-clock cleaning of sump wells at pumping stations, servicing and strategic placement of portable pumps and ensuring their timely operation with adequate manpower, a statement issued by the MCD said.
The need for joint cleaning of colony drains by the engineering and sanitation departments was also highlighted, along with mechanisms for resolving inter-departmental issues at the zonal level or escalating those to the headquarters, when necessary.
Further, the officials stressed the importance of swift action on complaints related to dangerous structures during monsoon, deep-cleaning through machinery and manpower, addressing garbage-vulnerable points and developing long-term plans for their elimination.
Cleanliness around religious places and secondary garbage collection points as well as the maintenance of parks and overall area hygiene were also among the topics discussed.
According to the statement, the meeting was attended by all additional commissioners, the deputy commissioners of all zones, engineers-in-chief, assistant commissioners of zones, engineers from the maintenance, building, projects and EMS departments as well as sanitation superintendents and other senior officials of the MCD.
The meeting focused on evaluating the MCD’s preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season, with particular emphasis on addressing waterlogging, improving sanitation and ensuring public safety, the statement said.
During the meeting, the deputy commissioners, engineers-in-chief and additional commissioners presented detailed action plans aimed at mitigating waterlogging across the city.
They also offered suggestions to strengthen infrastructure, enhance resource availability and augment manpower to ensure an efficient and timely response to monsoon-related challenges.
The officials also shared their field experiences, highlighting key challenges, operational bottlenecks and the need for improved coordination particularly in relation to the desilting of drains and waterlogging issues.
Kumar assured all departments of necessary support and stressed the importance of timely and coordinated action.
He reiterated the need for accountability, a proactive approach to problem-solving and a citizen-centric mindset in executing monsoon-related operations.
The MCD commissioner also encouraged practical, on-ground proposals aimed at strengthening monsoon preparedness and improving sanitation across the city.
He said the administration is ready to back such initiatives and willing to sanction the required funds for projects that address immediate challenges and bring about tangible improvements during the monsoon season.
Additionally, the civic body has appointed nodal officers for the desilting of major drains those deeper than four feet across various zones in the city.
Nodal officers have been designated for each drain to ensure accountability and the timely completion of the desilting work.
The MCD has designated junior engineers and assistant engineers as nodal officers to streamline coordination and facilitate public grievance redressal.
During the monsoon season last year, a tragic incident took place at a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, where three UPSC aspirants lost their lives after drowning in a waterlogged basement.
The flooding was reportedly caused by a burst drain and the lack of proper drainage and safety measures within the premises.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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