Delhi BJP chief Harsh Malhotra praises CM Rekha Gupta for steps against waterlogging

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra on Thursday pointed to negligible waterlogging in the city after the first major monsoon showers over the last three days, crediting the desilting by the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other civic agencies.

The Delhi BJP President said that breaking the chain of unpleasant experiences of the past 10 years, Delhiites were able to fully enjoy the season’s first monsoon rainfall.

Despite several hours of continuous rain, there were no reports from across the city of normal life or routine work being disrupted due to waterlogging, he said.

Malhotra said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Jal Board, the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) jointly carried out an extensive desilting drive.

“As a result, Delhi’s drainage system was well-prepared to withstand heavy rainfall, enabling residents to enjoy the first monsoon showers after many years,” he said.

The Delhi BJP President added that Delhiites had long experienced that the first two major spells of monsoon rain would leave the city waterlogged, while successive governments would dismiss the situation by claiming that it was only the beginning of the monsoon and that conditions would improve later.

However, for the people of Delhi, the entire monsoon season remained a period of hardship.

Malhotra said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, drains and sewer lines across Delhi were cleaned over the past one-and-a-half months.

Simultaneously, 169 waterlogging points and 445 vulnerable locations were identified, and 167 pump houses along with 754 mobile pumps were installed before June 28 to ensure the city was fully prepared for the first monsoon rains.

He added that it can confidently be stated that the Delhi government has been successful in its first major effort.

Of the rainfall received over the past three days, more than 100 mm of rain fell on Thursday morning alone.

“Despite this, the state government successfully managed to tackle the situation with minimal waterlogging on Ring Road, arterial roads, and flyover loops, allowing normal life to continue uninterrupted,” Malhotra said.

“While some issues were reported in parts of Old Delhi and East Delhi, these were due to the negligence of local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and Councillors. The Delhi government will pay special attention to these areas going forward,” he added.

–IANS

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