New Delhi: As Delhi ramps up preparations for the monsoon, PWD minister Parvesh Verma inspected desilting works in the Moti Nagar assembly constituency and reviewed the progress of drainage and flood-prevention measures across the city.The inspection is part of a wider campaign under which senior officers, chief engineers and field teams are carrying out physical verification of roads, drains and other critical infrastructure to minimise waterlogging and disruption during the rainy season. The review highlighted significant progress made by both Public Works Department and the irrigation & flood control department in strengthening Delhi’s drainage network ahead of the monsoon, said officials.According to the latest PWD report, desilting has been completed on 1,900.2 km of drains out of a total network of 2,125.9km, achieving 89.4% of the target, in the past three months for smooth flow of stormwater, prevention of drain blockages and reduction of water accumulation on major roads during heavy rain. The flood department has removed 30.9 lakh metric tonne silt against last year’s 19 lakh.Officials said the removal was expected to improve drainage capacity, enable faster discharge of rainwater and strengthen flood-prevention measures across the city.During the inspection, Verma said field verification was essential despite maintenance contracts being in place. “We have running maintenance contracts, but the reality of the work can only be checked on the ground. That is why officials have been deployed across different constituencies. In the next 10-15 days, all 70 assembly constituencies will be inspected.”He said accountability would remain central to govt’s monsoon preparedness strategy. “Our objective is clear. Delhi’s citizens should not face waterlogging during the rain. Wherever shortcomings are found, immediate corrective action will be taken. We are ensuring that quality and preparedness remain the top priority.”The minister added that govt was focusing on preventive measures rather than crisis management, with continuous monitoring, interdepartmental coordination and field-level supervision being undertaken to ensure a smoother monsoon season.
