Cables, garbage block Delhi’s drains

Electric and telecom cables, and garbage deposits are the main reasons why Delhi’s drains get blocked every monsoon, causing waterlogging in many areas, according to several PWD engineers here. Waterlogging has been a major problem in the national capital, with East Delhi being the worst affected. PWD engineers responsible for cleaning the drains have found wires, telecom cables and a huge quantity of plastic waste in the drains. On the condition of anonymity, a PWD engineer told The Sunday Guardian, “Electric cables from the BSES pass through the drains; even companies like MTNL and other telecom operators have laid down their lines either beside the drains or through the drains. We have written to all the stakeholders, but while BSES cooperates at times, telecom companies do not cooperate with us. This causes a lot of hindrance to our work in terms of desilting the drains during the monsoon season. Not only wires, even dumping of construction debris into the drains as well as plastic and cow dung dumping from nearby localities, lead to blockage of all such drains,” he added. The PWD engineer also complained about the designing of the drains. In localities where the drains remain uncovered and pass through the garbage dump area, garbage spills into the drains, blocking them. “Even if we maintain the drains on a monthly basis, unless these problems are solved, it would not yield any result. We need to rectify the designing of the drains,” he said. Desilting of the drains has also been a major area of concern in the city.  However, this year, the Delhi government had issued strict orders for the desilting of all drains well in advance. A complaint had been filed in the Public Grievance Commission (PGC) in the capital, in which the PGC has observed that the PWD and the municipal corporations need to work with all stakeholders to rectify the problem. N. Dilip Kumar, member PGC, in his order, had said, “Cattle dung discharged into the drains by unauthorised dairy owners needs to be stopped too.” The PGC has also directed the District Collector and the municipal corporations to look into the matter.