[ad_1]
In a recent development, Lieutenant Governor Veena Kumar Saxena and the Delhi government engaged in a heated exchange over the issue of waterlogging in the city due to heavy rains. Lieutenant Governor Saxena paid visits to various areas prone to waterlogging on Tuesday, including the Yamuna Bazar area near the Yamuna River and the Pragati Tunnel.
During a media interaction at Yamuna Bazar, the Lieutenant Governor criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for allegedly failing to ensure the removal of sewage and the Yamuna River over a long period. In response, Delhi Government Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Saxena of engaging in “dirty politics” amidst the torrential rain.
Expressing his concerns, Saxena stated that the people of Delhi were tired of repeating the problem of waterlogging, which had become an annual occurrence. He cited inadequate sewer cleaning and improper implementation of rainwater harvesting as contributing factors to the problem. According to Saxena, the constant waterlogging is the result of necessary maintenance work that has not been carried out over several years.
Amidst the developments, let us have a look at the causes of waterlogging in Delhi every year during the rainy season, and the possible solutions to the problem:
No master exchange plan
What causes Delhi to become waterlogged? Listen to News18’s explainer podcast:
According to the report of Indian ExpressAlthough there are annual instances of waterlogging during the monsoon season, the city of Delhi still lacks a comprehensive drainage master plan. In 2011, the Delhi government entered into an agreement with IIT-Delhi to develop such a plan, and the institute submitted a report in 2018. However, the plan was ultimately deemed “generic” and devoid of practicalities, which led to it being shelved in 2021, The report said.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Manish Sisodia, who oversaw the project, later appointed the Public Works Department (PWD) as the nodal agency and decided to hire consultants to create a comprehensive drainage master plan for each of the three drainage basins: Najafgar, Via Yammuna, and Baraballah. The consultants were due to be appointed in March 2022. While the PWD started a bidding process for the Najafgarh Basin in 2022, it failed to attract enough bidders.
In addition to the stagnant state of the master plan, senior PWD officials highlighted another issue: Delhi’s drains, especially storm drains, are old and not equipped to handle the recent 125mm of rainfall over a 24-hour period, a report Explain.
Officials explained that aging pipelines contribute to overflowing water, while overpopulation and unauthorized construction have clogged storm drains over the years.
wetlands
In addition to the lack of a drainage master plan, there are other important factors that contribute to Delhi’s waterlogging problems. Professor C R Babu, Head of the Environmental Management Center for Degrading Ecosystems, highlighted some of these causes in a report for Times of India.
According to Professor Babu, many low-lying areas that suffer from waterlogging have either lost their wetlands or have been covered extensively with concrete. This has led to the disappearance of the natural drainage systems and ore drains that carried water to the wetlands. In the past, Delhi had many wetlands, but these have been neglected, leveled, and built on, leading to waterlogging problems that plague many areas today.
Moreover, Delhi’s aging drainage system is unable to handle heavy rainfall, exacerbating the waterlogging problem. In addition, rainwater often flows into sewers, further contributing to flooding problems.
These factors, including the loss of wetlands, concreting, an outdated drainage system, and the mixing of rainwater with sewers, collectively contribute to the recurring problem of waterlogging in Delhi.
What’s the solution?
during an interview with Indian Express, senior officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) said the city’s pipelines are aging, causing water to flood during heavy rains. Moreover, storm drains have been progressively obstructed over the years due to increased drainage and unauthorized construction associated with the growing population.
With regard to drawing up a new exchange plan, the officials confirmed that consultants have been appointed for this purpose. The role of the consultants is to propose workable solutions and provide a roadmap for implementing engineering interventions. They will also conduct an environmental impact assessment and provide a detailed report, including estimates for construction work.
With input from the agencies
[ad_2]
