L-G, CM deliberate on how to turn Najafgarh drain back into Sahibi river

Saxena asks officials to submit report on engaging an agency to clear silt in two days

On Thursday, the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena directed officials to submit a feasibility report on engaging an expert agency to pulverise the silt settled in the Najafgarh drain within two days.

According to a statement released by Raj Niwas the matter was discussed in a meeting headed by the L-G on Wednesday which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also attended.

Both the L-G and the Chief Minister agreed that the drain needed long term solutions that addressed the issue of recurrent expenditure on its upkeep.

The L-G had visited the Najafgarh drain last week and suggested that the drain be developed into an eco-tourism hub with a navigable waterway where activities like boat rides and water sports could be offered.

Mr. Kejriwal had said that this could be achieved by undertaking a comprehensive de-silting and dredging of the drain in a time-bound manner.

The L-G directed officials to use meshes of different densities at graded distances on the drains that empty into the Najafgarh drain so as to intercept the flow of solid waste and heavy silt directly into the drain.

“These steps would ensure that the Najafgarh and its supplementary drains achieve ideal depth to conserve water and serve as a moving reservoir for storm drain and rainwater from the catchment areas, apart from helping raise the groundwater level,” the statement released by Raj Niwas read.