‘No monsoon wading’: desilting work on track, says MCD

With the June 15 deadline set for civic bodies to be “monsoon ready”, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday said desilting work of the drains is on track. According to the MCD, nearly 73.50% of the desilting work has been completed as of June 1 and the civic body is hoping to complete the rest of it by June 15.

With the June 15 deadline set for civic bodies to be “monsoon ready”, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday said desilting work of the drains is on track.

According to the MCD, nearly 73.50% of the desilting work has been completed as of June 1 and the civic body is hoping to complete the rest of it by June 15.

The civic body has a total of 834 drains, covering approximately 464 km, under its jurisdiction.

On Thursday, Mayor Shelly Oberoi had convened a review meeting with various agencies, including the Public Works Department, the Delhi Development Authority and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, to assess monsoon preparedness.

Officials said the city didn’t witness major waterlogging despite the onslaught of untimely rain in May this year.

While it caused traffic snarls and uprooted trees in several places across the city, MCD officials said it has not derailed the desilting work.

“We have engaged enough numbers of specialised earthmovers, jetting-cum-suction-machines and trucks to load and unload the silt as per requirement,” said an MCD official.