NEW DELHI: As rains lashed several parts of Delhi on Wednesday, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma hit the ground taking stock of the waterlogging situation in the city.
The minister visited the Minto Bridge underpass and found it free from any waterlogging.
“We have taken several steps to avoid waterlogging at the Minto Bridge underpass. Every year, we used to see photos of buses submerged at the underpass, but all the pump operators are alert currently and carrying out the de-watering exercise. There is no waterlogging here, even though it has been raining for an hour,” Verma said.
The PWD minister, who is also the MLA from the New Delhi constituency, surveyed Connaught Place as well.
“For the last four months, the Delhi government has been working on identified waterlogging points. Some have been fixed and at other points, the work is ongoing. This shows that the government is working honestly,” Verma said.
The Minto Bridge underpass in central Delhi, connecting Connaught Place to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, is infamous for heavy flooding during monsoon.
One of the city’s top-10 waterlogging hotspots, the underpass is on the PWD’s watchlist this year as well, officials said.
Meanwhile, the PWD is also working on taking up the repair and cleaning of a large underground stormwater storage tank (sump) installed near gate number six of Bharat Mandapam two years ago. This is another waterlogging hotspot identified by the authorities. The work will be completed in the next few days.