Delhi's Drainage Desilting Plan Stuck in Bureaucratic Limbo

A proposal for desilting drains in Delhi prepared by a three-member committee has been mired in administrative delays. Although Irrigation Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claims the plan was approved in April, conflicting reports suggest it remains pending. This controversy unfolds amid concerns over storm drain encroachment linked to recent flooding incidents.

A proposed comprehensive plan for desilting Delhi’s drains, prepared by a committee comprising the MCD commissioner, PWD principal secretary, and DJB CEO, has reportedly been pending with Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj for months, according to official sources.

Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Bharadwaj, however, claimed that the plan had been approved on April 29, 2024, and would be implemented post-Monsoon. Earlier, Bharadwaj accused the Delhi Chief Secretary and other IAS officers of neglecting the desilting issue despite his ongoing correspondence since February.

The sources also disclosed that the proposal, which includes managing 18 main drains under a unified authority, has been pending with the minister since August 2023.

This issue has further strained relations between AAP ministers and bureaucrats amid a blame game following the deaths of three IAS aspirants due to basement flooding, which is partly attributed to storm drain encroachment.

A comprehensive proposal was developed by a workshop held by the Chief Secretary in July 2023 and submitted to the Chief Minister and Bharadwaj on August 21, 2023. The file reportedly went back and forth between officials for months before its alleged April approval.

Minister Bharadwaj rejected claims of delays, stating an order had already been issued assigning responsibility for 22 open drains to a single agency, effective post-Monsoon.

The plan suggests residential drains be managed by various Delhi municipal bodies and presses for a new Storm Water Drainage Act to penalize encroachments and waste dumping. An advisory group is currently working on drafting this legislation.