Delhi not prepared to tackle monsoon woes: CAG report

Delhi witnessed a short spell of its much awaited monsoon season on Wednesday evening. The city will soon get respite from scorching heat as the MeT department has predicted that monsoon has arrived in the national capital and neighbouring areas on Thursday. Rains will once again bring the age old problems of chocking of drains, water logging and traffic snarls. But it is the administration and not the rain gods to be blamed for such troubles.

CAG report exposes a series of scams:

As per a report published in TOI, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its audit of national capital's drainage, desilting and flood control measures has unearthed systematic fraud and neglect. This report shows how taxpayers' money is virtually going down the drain but the authorities concerned are sitting unmoved.

The report, which is likely to be tabled in the Parliament, exposes a series of scams involving several city agencies.

Delhiites are going to pay for the erstwhile Delhi Government's callousness

As per the TOI report, the flood control department removed 8,30,000 cubic metres of silt from the Najafgarh and Trunk one drains, during 2010-13. However, just 1,00,000 cubic metres of the sludge was moved away. When asked why the rest of the silt was dumped right next to the drains, the department passed the buck and said its banks were large enough and the silt wouldn't go back in.

The audit report further reveals that authorities were supposed to also prepare a master plan for drainage under the Delhi master plan of 2001. For this purpose, a committee was setup in 2005, but it did nothing until 2012. Finally, this responsibility was entrusted to IIT Delhi. But the work hasn't yet started since government agencies have till date not handed over any data to IIT Delhi.

Similarly, the audit report also blamed Delhi Jal Board for doing nothing on the front of master plan for sewerage. The CAG report also accused Delhi's flood control department of not conducting any topographical survey of Yamuna since 2005, citing staff crunch, which leads to delay in planning over dimensions for storm water drains and other key components. Cleaning of Yamuna where dumping of drains is rampant but never gets proper attention.

Thus, the audit report reveals how Delhiites are going to pay for the erstwhile Delhi Government's lackadaisical approach which failed to keep its strings tight over civic bodies.

Problems Delhi faces during monsoon:

Thus, common problems which Delhiites are staring during the upcoming the Monsoon season are as follows:

Water logging:

As mentioned in the CAG report, the authorities moved only about 1,00,000 cubic metres of silt from drains left the rest on the banks of the drains. This remaining part of the sludge will once again make its way into drains with rain water and choke them again. This will once again result in water logging across the city. One can easily find the silt being left on the roadside in the entire Delhi-NCR area.

Incomplete civic work:

The incomplete civic work is the most common site in a Delhiites' life. Repair work of several roads and pavements in the city makes it impossible for the passersby to travel on feet. Open potholes during rainy seasons have taken several lives. Thus, one can simply hope that any untoward incident does not occur this year.

Diseases:

Monsoon is the season of diseases as well. Hospitals are full of patients with complaints related to water and vector borne diseases. Cases of dengue and malaria reach all time high during this period. But, the authorities concerned wake up only after there is a surge in such cases. Proactive measures taken by the authorities always fall way too short from preventing such problems.

The Delhi Government recently received a final draft of the CAG report on 'Flood control and drainage system in Delhi'. In the wake of widespread reports of hours-long traffic jams and waterlogging, the audit was ordered by CAG SK Sharma during the last monsoon, sources said.

It is time the CAG's report is seriously taken into consideration and Government fixes accountability to proper and timely disposal of work.