SDMC Mayor accuses govt of not completing desilting work

New Delhi: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Narender Chawla on Friday alleged that inaction of Delhi government in completing the desilting work by June 30 has resulted in massive waterlogging across the Capital due to recent rains.

"It is clear from the minutes of an Apex Committee meeting on flood control measures chaired by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia that the PWD (Public Works Department) only completed 60 per cent of desilting work till June 25," Chawla said, adding that it is impossible to complete the rest of 40 per cent of the desilting work in just five days.

He categorically blamed the Delhi government for rampant waterlogging, adding that if the government is unable to complete desilting of its drains, it should transfer the work to the Corporation along with a budget to get the work completed well in time.

The SDMC Mayor said that the Delhi government only believes in making tall claims, creating hue and cry, shifting responsibility on other's shoulders and blaming MCDs for its failures.

"SDMC is responsible to desilt 246 major drains having a depth of more than four feet with a total length about 5,604 km under its jurisdiction," Chawla said.

"It is a matter of satisfaction for the Corporation that its engineering department strived hard to complete the desilting work as per an action plan by June 30. The desilting of all drains, except four, was completed and percentage of work completed works out to over 100 per cent. The estimated quantity of 26,049 metric tonne of silt was supposed to be removed whereas SDMC removed 41,039 metric tonne of silt," added the Mayor.