New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Sunday inspected waterlogging in Janakpuri C-Block following heavy rains and strongly criticized the previous government for “10 years of negligence” in addressing drainage issues. He directed officials from the Delhi Jal Board, PWD, and Police to take immediate steps to find a permanent solution.
Sood pointed out that nearly two feet of water had accumulated in the area due to a lack of drainage facilities, leaving roads completely submerged. During the inspection, he personally oversaw the clearing of sewer lids and drain openings and instructed the staff to work on long-term measures to prevent repeated flooding in the locality.
Action Against Open Alcohol Consumption
Residents raised concerns about a liquor shop in C-Block, where people allegedly consume alcohol openly in the evenings, often with loud music, creating safety issues for women, children, and senior citizens. In response, Sood issued strict instructions to the SHO to monitor the area for the next 10 days and deploy police personnel to prevent any untoward incidents. He also ordered urgent repairs to the dilapidated police outpost in C-Block.
Government’s Focus on Clean Delhi
The Minister emphasized that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government is working at multiple levels to address waterlogging, pollution, cleanliness, and waste disposal. “Relieving the people of Delhi from the problem of waterlogging during monsoon is the government’s topmost priority. We are working on both short-term relief and long-term solutions,” he said.
Drain Cleaning, Pump Deployment, Hotspot Monitoring
To mitigate waterlogging, the government has directed regular cleaning of major and minor drains through both mechanical and manual methods. Additional mobile pumping stations are being deployed in affected areas. Based on past experience, chronic flood-prone areas have been declared “Hotspot Zones” for special monitoring. Coordination has been ensured between PWD, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, and Traffic Police to enable quick drainage and prevent commuter hardships.
