DDA Clears Over 57,000 Tonnes of Silt From Drains in Dwarka and Other Delhi Zones
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has cleared more than 57,000 metric tonnes of silt from stormwater drains across Delhi, including the Dwarka zone, during its pre-monsoon desilting drive reported on Thursday. This extensive clean-up effort represents an over 70 percent increase in silt removal compared to the previous year's pre-monsoon drive, with the primary goal of reducing instances of waterlogging during heavy monsoon showers.
According to DDA officials, the desilting exercise has already been fully completed in the East, South, and North zones. Meanwhile, the desilting work in the Dwarka, Narela, and Rohini zones is currently in its final stages. The Delhi Development Authority has divided Delhi into these six operational zones to enable better planning, supervision, and execution of the desilting works.
A total of 494.8 kilometres of stormwater drains fall under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Development Authority across the six operational zones. This drainage network is divided into different categories based on depth. Specifically, 148.2 kilometres of the network comprise drains that are up to four feet deep. On the other hand, 246 kilometres of the network consist of drains that are deeper than four feet.
The scale of this year’s exercise is significantly larger than the previous year’s pre-monsoon drive. During the pre-monsoon drive of the previous year, the Delhi Development Authority removed around 33,380 metric tonnes of silt from the city's stormwater drains. This year's total of over 57,000 metric tonnes represents a substantial increase in the volume of waste cleared from the drainage system.
With over 57,000 metric tonnes of silt already cleared this year, DDA officials stated that they expect the enhanced carrying capacity of the stormwater drains to improve the flow of rainwater. This increased capacity is anticipated to reduce instances of waterlogging during heavy showers across the operational zones.
