L-G convenes meet, cancels officials’ leave

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 28

Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) VK Saxena convened an emergency meeting to review the situation after early morning rains lashed the Capital on Friday. He directed agencies to establish an emergency control room to be manned 24 hours a day.

All relevant departments of the Delhi Government were called to the meeting.

Officials from Raj Niwas said the meeting addressed issues arising from severe waterlogging, the overflow of unsilted drains and the backflow of clogged sewer lines due to pre-monsoon rains in the city. Senior officials from all departments concerned will be deputed to the emergency room. “Wide publicity of the control room number should be given for citizens to report incidents of waterlogging,” Saxena said.

The L-G said all senior officers of municipal bodies and engineering departments should be present in the field to monitor critical locations. He directed that all senior officers on leave should report back to duty immediately and that no leave be sanctioned for the next two months.

The L-G also reviewed the preparedness and emergency response of various departments to deal with the situation, noting the city’s lack of readiness for excessive rainfall and resultant waterlogging. The meeting discussed the incomplete desilting works and the pending issuance of the flood control order.

The L-G directed that all static pumps of PWD, I&FC, MCD, DDA and NDMC be tested and made functional with field staff deployed to energise pumps on a 24/7 basis. “Mobile pumps must be utilised as needed. Additional pumps should be procured and deployed in low-lying areas, particularly unauthorised colonies prone to waterlogging, as well as underpasses and tunnels. Remaining desilting works of all drains should be undertaken by all agencies concerned on an urgent basis over the next week. Debris along the drains should be removed immediately, and all obstructions to the free flow of water in open drains should be cleared,” officials highlighted from the L-G’s directions.

Saxena directed the traffic police to issue regular traffic advisories in case of waterlogging at critical locations and to continuously share information about waterlogged spots with relevant departments and the central control room. The I&FC department was instructed to regularly communicate with their counterparts in Haryana and the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh to assess rainfall levels and discharges from the Hathnikund barrage.

The Revenue Department will activate the disaster response cell under the Delhi Disaster Management Authority in the event of excessive rainfall. Assistance from the NDRF will be sought for any emergency measures during the monsoons.

“The Power Department should ensure that DISCOMS take preventive measures to avoid exposed wires prone to short-circuiting,” Saxena instructed.

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