Delhi's Drainage Overhaul: New Guidelines to Tackle Desilting

Delhi minister Parvesh Verma has instructed the PWD to update desilting guidelines, ensuring removed silt is cleared within 24 hours. The aim is to desilt all stormwater drains by May's end, prior to monsoon. Contractors' payments are now based on drain functionality, not debris quantity.

In a move aimed at streamlining the city's drainage maintenance, Delhi minister Parvesh Verma has issued new directives to the Public Works Department (PWD) to revise desilting protocols.

Under these guidelines, any silt extracted from the drains must be removed within 24 hours, a significant reduction from the prior two-day window. This change follows numerous complaints about lingering debris on city streets.

The city has been divided into 35 zones for the desilting task, with Verma emphasizing that contractor payments will now be linked to the effectiveness of keeping drains unblocked, rather than the quantity of debris removed.

(With inputs from agencies.)