The Delhi government has informed the Centre that the city’s existing drainage master plan, which was prepared in 1976, is not adequate to deal with “crisis situations”, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed Parliament on Monday.
Heavy rain inundated the Capital last month, causing waterlogging in many parts and pushing the Yamuna water level to a new high. This led to a blame game between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi over the cause of the flooding.
In a written reply to a question by MP Nadimul Haque in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Puri stated, “The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has informed that the drainage master plan for Delhi was prepared in 1976 and the existing plan is not adequate to deal with crisis situations.”
The Minister added that the Delhi government had informed the Centre that in 2018, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, proposed a new draft drainage master plan. “The GNCTD has stated that Delhi now needs a comprehensive new drainage master plan.”
He also said that according to the AAP government, low-lying areas have been identified for maintenance. “This requires concerted efforts on part of all agencies concerned, namely Public Works Department, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Cantonment Board, and Delhi Development Authority.”
