Now Reading: Delhi LG treats waterlogging as disaster, orders war-footing response
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Delhi LG treats waterlogging as disaster, orders war-footing response
Delhi Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed senior officials to treat waterlogging in the capital as a disaster and mount a war-footing response. After Tuesday's heavy rain left roads waterlogged and…
Delhi Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed senior officials to treat waterlogging in the capital as a disaster and mount a war-footing response. After Tuesday's heavy rain left roads waterlogged and traffic gridlocked, Sandhu held a late evening meeting and called for a whole-of-government approach with department heads present on the ground.
Several weather stations recorded over 100 mm of rainfall on Tuesday, making it Delhi's wettest August day in two years. Waterlogging hit key stretches including ITO, Vikas Marg, Laxmi Nagar, Karol Bagh and the Akshardham flyover. The LG said on X that every department must work in synergy rather than in silos.
Sandhu asked officials to prioritise real-time redressal of complaints raised through media, social media and other platforms. The New Delhi Municipal Council apologised to residents, saying it usually clears waterlogging in 15-20 minutes but took over an hour at three to four locations. The NDMC said it would strengthen its systems.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Delhi's flooding is a recurring monsoon crisis, but the LG's 'disaster' declaration is a rhetorical escalation rather than a legal one: under the Disaster Management Act 2005, only a notified disaster unlocks central funds and special powers. The real test is whether the whole-of-government approach sticks across agencies such as the MCD, PWD, DJB and NDMC, which often blame one another. Previous chief ministers and LGs have issued similar war-footing orders after heavy rain, with mixed results. The next monsoon forecast for the capital, due from IMD in the coming week, will show whether the city has time to act before the next deluge.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
