CM Rekha Gupta Orders Removal of Dangerous Trees to Prepare Delhi for Monsoon
On Monday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed officials in Delhi to identify and remove dangerous trees on priority to prevent loss of life and accidents during the upcoming monsoon season. The directive was issued during a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting, which was co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, to review the capital's preparedness for storms and heavy rainfall.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Gupta instructed departments to proactively identify hazardous trees and clear them before they pose a risk to public safety. She also ordered officials to ensure that no drains, sewer lines, or manholes remain uncovered, and that potholes and ditches are repaired immediately, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to accidents arising from such lapses.
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu highlighted that weather forecasts indicate spells of intense rainfall due to evolving El Niño conditions. He directed all departments to take every possible measure to ensure minimal waterlogging across Delhi. While acknowledging that flooding remains a legacy issue, Sandhu stated that short-term measures must be implemented effectively alongside long-term solutions like the Drainage Master Plan, warning that accountability for any lapses would be fixed.
Additionally, Sandhu directed officials to make the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) operational at the earliest and increase its strength.
According to officials at the meeting, the number of waterlogging-prone locations in the city has decreased over the past three years, dropping from 194 in 2024 to 169 in 2025, and down to 34 so far in 2026. Persistently vulnerable sites also fell from 53 between 2024 and 2025 to eight between 2025 and 2026.
In terms of desilting, officials reported that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) have completed their targets. The Public Works Department (PWD) has finished nearly 95 per cent of its desilting work, with the remainder delayed due to encroachments on drains under its jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board has desilted 85.5 per cent of its trunk sewer lines, 91.1 per cent of peripheral sewer lines, and 90.16 per cent of branch sewer lines.
To avoid delays, Sandhu and Gupta directed agencies to ensure that jurisdictional disputes do not stall the resolution of flooding or accident-related complaints. Officials were also asked to monitor public feedback and waterlogging complaints in real time and keep mobile heavy-duty pumps ready for emergency deployment.
