'Nature doesn’t inform in advance’: Delhi LG Saxena blames lack of preparation for rains

Delhi rains updates: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has blamed the lack of preparation for the rains. Heavy rains over the weekend caused waterlogging in various parts of the city. There have been reports of houses and roads caving in too. 

The LG, taking stock of the rising water levels at the Yamuna Bazar area, said that preparations should have been made beforehand to deal with the unprecedented rains. 

"Waterlogging has become a yearly ritual. Sewage cleaning is not done, drain water is not treated properly. Due to all these things which have not been done for years, waterlogging occurs. Desilting of Yamuna should be done regularly. Najafgarh drain desilting should be done regularly. I will try to see to it that attention is paid to all this so that people don't have to face this...Nature doesn't inform us in advance, we have to be prepared for it," he told ANI. 

LG Saxena inspected the Pragati Maidan tunnel, Minto Bridge and the Zakhira underpass that were flooded and closed for traffic due to the heavy rains. Visuals of submerged stretches made their way to social media. Commuters faced unprecedented difficulties as stretches of roads remained under water on Monday. 

Chief Minister Arvnid Kejriwal called an emergency meeting of officials from all departments on Monday and announced an inquiry into incidents of road cave-in accidents. He, however, said that the roads could have caved-in for multiple reasons including poor build or a burst in the underground pipeline. 

Stretches in Dhaula Kuan, Okhla underpass, Jangpura, Mundka, Nigam Bodh Ghat, Khirki Extension, Malviya Nagar, Kirti Nagar Industrial Area, Mayur Vihar and Banda Bahadur Marg areas remained submerged after very heavy rainfall in Delhi. 

Kejriwal said in a press conference that this is for the first time in 40 years that Delhi received rainfall of such severity. The last time, he said, was way back in 1982. 

Six hundred and eighty PWD drain pipes were deployed across the city, alongside 326 temporary pumps and 100 mobile pipes to mitigate waterlogging. 

Meanwhile, the Yamuna river breached the danger mark, following which evacuation of residents in low-lying areas of the Yamuna floodplains began. The government has identified 41,000 individuals who live close to the river. Not only the torrential rains, Haryana also released water from the Hathnikund barrage. 

The Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi, with the water level at the Old Railway Bridge in Delhi rising to 205.4 metres by 5 pm on Monday. It is expected that the river will rise to 206.65 metres by Tuesday afternoon, before gradually subsiding. Haryana released 3 lakh cusecs of water released from the barrage on Sunday night that reduced to 2.5 lakh cusecs on Monday morning.

Also read: Monsoon mayhem: Delhi on high alert as Yamuna River’s water level crosses danger mark, schools closed today 

Also read: IMD predicts rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning in these states till July 14; Check details here