New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) A new Drainage Master Plan for Delhi will be unveiled on Friday as part of activities planned during the fortnight long ‘Seva Pakhwada’ being observed by the Rekha Gupta government to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, an official said.

The Master Plan will be launched by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal at an event to be presided over by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, two days after PM Modi’s birthday on September 17.

The Master Plan promises to offer solutions for upgradation of the city’s drainage system to handle rainwater and reduce collection of rainwater in low-lying areas and roads.

Earlier, the Delhi government and the opposition AAP were engaged in a verbal duel over rainwater drainage during monsoon.

While officials claimed that the drainage system, due to its age, struggled to handle precipitation above 50 mm in a day, the AAP accused the government of doing little to mitigate waterlogging.

The government claimed that every instance of water collection cannot be described as waterlogging. “When the rainwater drains away in a few minutes, it cannot be called waterlogging. Waterlogging refers to instances where water does not drain away for 4-5 hours,” said a statement.

In July, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh announced that work was on to make a new master plan to reorient the 50-year-old drainage system of the city. The previous drainage master plan was prepared in 1976.

Delhi’s drainage system is fed by three basins: Najafgarh, Barapullah and Trans Yamuna. Till July, the government had received draft reports suggesting drainage improvements in the Najafgarh basin, but reports on the other two basins was still awaited.

Ahead of Monsoon, CM Gupta ordered the creation of an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to act as a central hub for monitoring and managing various city functions, including traffic, water supply, and sanitation.

CM Gupta reviewed the situation and said “Our aim is not just to find temporary solutions but to bring long-term and concrete improvements to Delhi’s infrastructure. Every department has been given clear instructions to work on these issues in mission mode and adopt a result-oriented approach.”

“We want to rid Delhiites of problems related to waterlogging, traffic or security. Our government is committed to developing Delhi as a safe, accessible and clean capital, where citizens can get better facilities at every level,” she said.

Highlighting efforts to counter water logging, the Chief Minister said: “At present, 194 waterlogging areas have been identified. These come under various departments like PWD, NHAI, DMRC, DDA, MCD, NDMC, and DCB. Out of these 194 identified areas, short-term works have already been completed in 129 and instructions have been given to complete the work in the remaining areas as soon as possible.”

She said that the ICCC shall integrate data from different sources to provide real-time situational awareness and support decision-making for city authorities. It will also play a key role in emergency response by providing real-time information on incidents and coordinating the efforts of different departments.

–IANS

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