70% more drains cleared this year before monsoon showers, says DDANew Delhi: DDA has claimed to have removed more than 57,000 metric tonnes of silt from stormwater drains under its pre-monsoon desilting drive, marking an over 70% increase compared to last year. Enhancing the carrying capacity of drains will reduce instances of waterlogging.“Desilting exercise has been completed in the east, south and north zones. Work in the Narela, Rohini and Dwarka zones is in final stages,” officials said Thursday. Delhi is divided into six operational zones to enable better planning, supervision and execution of the desilting works. A total of 494.8 km of drains fall under DDA’s jurisdiction across the six zones. Of these, 148.2 km comprise drains up to four feet deep, while 246 km are deeper than four feet.“The scale of this year’s exercise is significantly larger than the previous year’s pre-monsoon drive, during which around 33,380 MT of silt was removed. With over 57000 MT already cleared this year, DDA expects the enhanced carrying capacity of stormwater drains to improve the flow of rainwater and reduce instances of waterlogging during heavy showers,” officials said.To strengthen flood management preparedness, the authority has set up a central flood control room along with flood control rooms in all engineering zones. “A dedicated 24X7 helpline is also being established to address waterlogging-related complaints, while mobile pumping units have been deployed at vulnerable locations for quick removal of accumulated rainwater,” said officials.Additional preventive measures include cleaning drains, strengthening the drainage infrastructure, installing pumping arrangements and coordinating with other govt agencies wherever required. “Prompt disposal of desilted material and continuous monitoring of vulnerable stretches are expected to improve drainage efficiency and ensure smoother traffic movement during the monsoon,” officials added.DDA has also identified 11 waterlogging-prone locations under its jurisdiction, including 10 in south zone and one in east zone. These include the Okhla Underpass, the side road near Dwarka Flyover and Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Radha Swami T-Point (Pochanpur to Janki Chowk via the Delhi Jal Board office in Sector 23, Dwarka), Sector 6/7 Crossing, Sector 22 and Sector 23 in Dwarka, Sarita Vihar–Okhla Underpass, Okhla Underpass (Harkesh Nagar), Dwarka Court, Pathar Market in Sector 20, Dwarka, Utsav Park and Patparganj.
