Delhi is facing a race against time to prevent monsoon flooding as current reports show a significant delay in drain desilting. The Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Department has managed to clean only 30.4% of the 77 major drains under its jurisdiction. This comes despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) setting a strict deadline of May 31, 2026, to finish the work and protect residents from waterlogging and overflow issues.
ℹ: Delhi Govt New Policy: E-Rickshaw Charging Hubs to be Set Up in Slums to Curb Power Theft।
Current Progress and Pending Work in Delhi
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is also struggling with its preparations, with 90 tenders for desilting still waiting to be awarded. The slow pace of work across various departments has raised fears of flooding incidents that often lead to road blockages and safety hazards. The I&FC Department has submitted an undertaking to the NGT, promising to complete desilting for 23 major drains by the end of May, though the large Najafgarh drain has a longer deadline of June 2027.
| Entity Involved | Current Status and Data |
|---|---|
| I&FC Department | 30.4% work completed for 77 drains |
| MCD Tenders | 90 tenders yet to be awarded |
| NGT Deadline | May 31, 2026 for major drains |
| MCD Budget | Rs 36 crore allocated for 793 drains |
| Najafgarh Drain | Desilting deadline set for June 2027 |
New Machines and Government Initiatives
To speed up the cleaning process, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched four amphibious excavator machines to remove over 10 lakh metric tonnes of silt. These machines are being used at specific locations like Pankha Road and Najafgarh. Additionally, the government deployed two advanced trash skimmers worth Rs 2.90 crore to manage floating waste and pollutants. The Public Works Department (PWD) plans to phase out private contractors in favor of mechanized desilting to improve accountability and efficiency.
- Mechanized Cleaning: PWD is moving toward using machines for better transparency.
- Silt Management: Four sites identified for permanent silt disposal through bio-mining.
- Advanced Tech: Short-boom amphibious machines costing Rs 1.27 crore are being procured.
- NGT Oversight: The additional chief secretary must confirm adherence to the May 31 deadline.
