Delhi govt managed monsoon well, avoided widespread waterlogging: BJP

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The ruling BJP in Delhi claimed that the city did not witness widespread waterlogging during the past three days of monsoon rain, unlike previous years. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said extensive desilting of drains and sewer lines had been carried out over the past one-and-a-half months under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. He said the government had also identified 169 waterlogging points and 445 vulnerable locations. A total of 167 pump houses and 754 mobile pumps were installed before June 28 to prepare Delhi for the first monsoon spell, he said. "We can confidently say that the Delhi government has succeeded in its first major effort," Malhotra said in a statement. Claiming that the city had broken the cycle of "unpleasant experiences" of the past decade, he said Delhiites were able to enjoy the season's first monsoon spell. He also claimed that despite several hours of continuous rain, there were no reports of widespread waterlogging across the city. Heavy overnight rain that continued through Thursday morning, however, led to waterlogging in several areas, uprooting trees and caused traffic congestion. Safdarjung, the capital's base weather station, recorded 72.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours that ended at 8.30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Tukhmirpur in northeast Delhi's Khajuri received the highest rainfall at 160 mm during this period, it said. Malhotra, who is also Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, said that Delhi government successfully managed waterlogging on Ring Road, arterial roads, and flyover loops, allowing normal life to continue uninterrupted. While some issues were reported in parts of Old Delhi and East Delhi, these were due to the negligence of local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and councillors. The government will pay special attention to these areas going forward, he added. PTI VIT VIT MDO MDO