New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The Delhi government will appoint nodal officers at waterlogging-prone spots and ensure proper drainage of rain water during monsoon to ensure that people do not face hardships, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

She added that if there is waterlogging in any area of the city, the officers concerned will be held accountable for it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Delhi is making every effort, including deploying automatic pumps and personnel at vulnerable spots, to ensure that the national capital remains free from waterlogging in monsoon, the chief minister said during an inspection of vulnerable points.

Accompanied by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma, Gupta inspected the waterlogging-prone Minto Bridge underpass to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming monsoon season, according to a statement issued by the Delhi government.

“All pumping systems on the sites will be fully automated and operators will be stationed on the sites 24×7 during monsoon, ensuring immediate response to any situation. The current government is working with full commitment to make Delhi flood-free and well-managed,” Gupta said.

This is the spot where vehicles, including buses, got submerged in the accumulated rain water in the past, she said, referring to the Minto Bridge underpass. “Last year, even the pump got submerged and the operator could not access it,” she added.

This time, “the government is making well-planned and timely preparations, so that such situations never recur”, the chief minister emphasised.

Waterlogging-prone spots have been identified and corrective measures are being taken, she said, asserting that waterlogging will no longer be accepted as a norm in Delhi.

Departments will be held responsible for any lapse in monsoon-related work, the chief minister said in the statement, adding that all the departments have been asked to work in coordination with each other and complete the necessary preparations before monsoon.

Gupta also inspected monsoon preparedness at other major waterlogging points, including near Tilak Bridge — among the top 10 waterlogging hotspots for the last several years.

After the inspection, the chief minister held a meeting with several departments, including power and PWD, during which projects involving traffic congestion and “dark” spots on roads were discussed.

Gupta was not satisfied with the progress of the de-silting work of the drain near Tilak Bridge and instructed officers to take immediate and effective action to address the issue, the statement said.

“It is our foremost priority that the citizens of Delhi do not experience inconvenience during the rainy season,” she said.

The chief minister also instructed the officers to remove illegal banners and posters from all government properties and take strict action against violators under the Property Defacement Act, the statement added.

The Delhi Police has identified more than 3,000 “dark” spots across the city. The chief minister sought a special focus on these spots from the safety and security perspective and said streetlights have been repaired at 1,989 of the spots and the remaining ones will be covered in the next 10 days.

She also directed for addressing the issue of traffic congestion at 233 identified locations.

An integrated control room will be used to ensure coordination among different departments, Gupta said.

Verma said last year, 194 waterlogging locations were identified across the city by the traffic police and most of those were on PWD roads.

“At these points, we are taking several measures, such as de-silting of drains, installation of more pumps and deploying pump operators,” the minister said.

He said officers from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) were present at the meeting attended by Gupta to discuss waterlogging, traffic jams and “dark” spots and were directed to complete all the work within the timelines set.

“Our clear goal is that there should be no problems like waterlogging, traffic snarls or dark spots in any part of the capital. We have instructed all departments to complete the work on time and every detail is being monitored,” Verma said.

He added that additional pumps are being deployed at waterlogging-prone places where long-term measures, such as construction of drains, are to be taken to ensure that rainwater is flushed out. PTI SSM VIT RC