After initial hiccups, desilting of Sunehri Pul Drain picks up pace

Desilting of covered portions of Sunehri Pul Drain in south Delhi begins after NGT intervention.

After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last month pointed out issues with desilting of covered portions of Sunehri Pul Drain and Kushak Drain in south Delhi, work has begun to desilt the former.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh visited desilting of the covered portion of Sunehri Pul Drain, which has begun after cutting part of the concrete.

After the visit, Ms. Gupta said that the drain was covered with concrete and when it was constructed, no one thought about how to clean it when it gets filled in the future.

“During the monsoon, these drains would get clogged, leading to severe waterlogging issues in nearby residential colonies. Using advanced machinery, we are making cuts into the drain to remove layers of accumulated silt that have been settling for years,” the CM said.

She also said that until these big drains are cleaned, the smaller drains cannot be fixed and they will continue to overflow.

Mr. Singh said that to address the issue comprehensively, suction machines are being deployed to remove the accumulated waste efficiently. The filtered water is then treated and released back into the drain, improving drainage flow and preventing future blockages, he said.

The I&FCD manages 24 major drains in the city, which ultimately flow into the Yamuna.