Will Delhi weather the storm this monsoon?

NEW DELHI - With waterlogging being a perennial problem in Delhi during the monsoon, this year could throw up a “muddy” spectacle with most parts of the city dug up for the “beautification and street-scaping” plans for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

However, be it the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) or the Public Works Department (PWD) that are tasked with this work, they are confident of weathering the storm.

The beautification and street-scraping plans include greening and improving pavements and central verges on the roads leading to the Games venues, modernising street furniture, improving street lighting and also reinforcing the roads.

The MCD is confident of tackling waterlogging and rain-related problems this year.

“About 70 percent of the desilting work is left. This year we are focussing more on the areas where the Commonwealth Games venues are located,” an MCD house leader, Shubash Arya, said.

MCD Deputy Commissioner Krishan Kumar said that about 10 vulnerable points at Minto Bridge, Darya Ganj, Chandni Chowk and Nizamuddin have been identified as potential waterlogging hotspots. Also, the desilting of drains is almost over in the walled city.

V.P.S Tomer, chief engineer of Delhi’s irrigation and flood control department, said: “Anti-waterlogging and flood control measures have been taken. Control rooms and check posts have also been established at various stations.”

The PWD is also focussing on early completion of projects near the Games venues. However, with rubble lying all around, the monsoon seems to be heading towards giving Delhi a tough time.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi is confident that monsoon will not be a hurdle in preparations for the Games.

“Everything is on track, no need to worry for the monsoon. We hope to complete the projects on time. Moreover, rain will improve the greenery of the city,” Kalmadi told IANS.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit recently visited several Games-related project sites and asked the PWD to complete the entire work before the onset of the monsoon. “There would be no problem in timely completion of the projects in the wake of rains in the city,” Dikshit said.

In the past, residents of the city have not been happy with the performance of the civic agencies during monsoon. From slum areas to neighbourhoods with narrow lanes, the problems multiply during the monsoon as the collected water stagnates and heaps of waste lead to choking of drains.

For Sanjana Khandelwal, a resident of Anand Vihar, the problem is of mobility as she can’t go to the market during the rains because of the potholes on the roads.

Rohit Seth, who resides in Saket in south Delhi, had a similar complaint.

“A portion of the Aurobindo Marg’s central verge near the PTS (Police Training School) is being done up. Because of this, huge mounds of mud clutter up the road space, making driving, particularly in the peak hours, a mightmare,” he said.