New Delhi: In a proactive move to prevent urban flooding this monsoon, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday inspected several waterlogging-prone locations, including the infamous Minto Bridge underpass, Ring Road near the WHO office, and Pul Prahladpur near Tughlakabad. The inspections come as part of the Delhi government’s mission to ensure a “waterlogging-free capital.”
Accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and PWD and Flood Control minister Parvesh Verma, CM Gupta reviewed ground-level preparations and pledged 24/7 monitoring, automatic pump installations, and stricter accountability mechanisms.
At the Minto Bridge, a notorious monsoon trouble spot, Gupta pointed out the critical need for uninterrupted water drainage and real-time action. “We have come to Minto Bridge to inspect the area where a whole bus had got submerged due to waterlogging,” she said. “Automatic pumps have been deployed here that will
flush out water during heavy rain, and a 2.5-kilometre-long pipeline has been laid to carry the accumulated water out. Operators will also be on round-the-clock duty.”
To simulate conditions, water tankers were used for a trial run. “We are ensuring that not even a drop of rainwater gets collected here during the monsoon,” Gupta added, emphasising that last year’s delays due to absent pump operators would not be repeated. The chief minister further stated that nodal officers will be appointed at all vulnerable points, and any instance of waterlogging this season will be treated as a failure of duty. “If there is waterlogging in any area of the city, the officers concerned will be held accountable,” she said.
Later in the day, Gupta chaired a high-level inter-agency meeting with officials from the Delhi Police, NDMC, MCD, NHAI, DDA, PWD, and Flood Control departments. The focus of the meeting was threefold, resolving waterlogging, easing traffic congestion, and eliminating dark spots. Minister Parvesh Verma, briefing the press after the meeting, said, “Since the formation of our government, our CM has been consistently holding meetings with all relevant departments, including the Delhi Police, DDA, MCD, and PWD. Today, the primary focus areas were waterlogging, traffic congestion, and dark spots across Delhi.”
The minister disclosed that in 2023, Delhi Police had identified 308 waterlogging hotspots across the city. This number came down to 194 in 2024 due to infrastructure improvements. “Most of these are on PWD roads. At these points, we are taking several measures such as desilting of drains, installation of more pumps, and deploying pump operators where required,” Verma said.
He also noted that work Is ongoing at sites where long-term drain construction is still underway. “Where the
work will take time, we are installing temporary pumps to ensure water doesn’t accumulate,” Verma added.
Traffic congestion is another major concern addressed in the meeting. According to officials, 233 traffic points across Delhi have been identified for chronic jams, many under the jurisdiction of the PWD. Immediate interventions have begun. The problem of dark spots, poorly lit areas contributing to safety concerns, was also highlighted. Delhi Police have flagged
3,808 such locations.