NDMC Chief Apologises for Heavy Waterlogging in New Delhi
Newly appointed New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi on Wednesday issued an apology to residents and commuters in the NDMC area who faced severe difficulties due to widespread waterlogging following heavy rainfall.
The civic disruption occurred after intense rain lashed the heart of the city on Monday and Tuesday, leaving prominent roads and localities submerged under water. The severe inundation brought civic movement to a crawl, highlighting inadequacies in the council's measures to manage recurring monsoon water stagnation.
Dwivedi acknowledged the shortcomings in the civic body's response, admitting that the drainage mechanisms failed to handle the volume of water in several pockets. Taking to the social media platform X, the NDMC chief explained the unusual circumstances behind the prolonged water accumulation while stressing accountability.
According to Dwivedi, the NDMC is typically equipped to clear waterlogging within 15 to 20 minutes. However, during the recent spell, the agency encountered significant delays, with water taking more than an hour to drain out in at least three to four locations despite best efforts by civic teams on the ground.
The chairperson noted that the area recorded over 72 mm of rainfall in under two hours, describing the intensity and volume of the downpour as quite unexpected. Nevertheless, he emphasised that the heavy weather conditions could not serve as an excuse for the civic body's failure to prevent prolonged disruption, stating that the NDMC will have to strengthen its systems to handle similar situations going forward.
Dwivedi further explained that while regular measures to tackle waterlogging had been put in place, the council's existing assessments and preparedness levels had not adequately accounted for the shifting nature of rainfall. Specifically, civic systems were challenged by highly intense showers that occurred in short, concentrated spells across limited geographic pockets within the city.
