CM suggests setting up of SPV for drain-cleaning

New Delhi, June 27

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today suggested setting up of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to minimise "negative impact" of multiplicity of agencies on cleaning of city's drains.

Lack of desilting and cleaning of drains leads to waterlogging and subsequent traffic jams during monsoon.

The suggestion comes at a meeting of the Apex Committee to review flood-control measures, chaired by the Chief Minister.

"There is multiplicity of agencies in the city as far as cleaning of drains is concerned. We must try for an SPV for better coordination and cleaning. Such an integrated body will help in the long term," he said.

Kejriwal also said till such a body is in place, authorities should coordinate efforts to prevent problems including of waterlogging during the monsoon season.

"The process of cleaning the drains being used by the Public Works Department and the municipal corporations in most of the cases is very primitive. Garbage from the drains is kept on the side of the road to dry up and is then taken away when its dry up.

"In the process a part of the garbage again goes back in the drain. It is done nowhere in the world," Kejriwal said.

He said authorities must move to modern technology, adding that one of the solutions is the use of super suckers. He also asked them to prepare a cost estimate for cleaning all the drains with super suckers from next year.

Besides the Chief Minister, the meeting was also attended by PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Water Minister Rajender Pal Gautam and Chief Secretary MM Kutty, and other department heads.

All agencies concerned presented the measures taken by them to overcome problems of waterlogging and flooding.

A manual containing important information called Flood Control Order 2017 was unveiled by the Chief Minister.

The booklet contains telephone numbers of the control rooms, details of flood control machinery, list of vulnerable points, duties of various departments and other agencies along with important information about river embankments.

A central flood control room has also been established to assist the Apex Committee functioning round-the-clock at LM Bund in Shashtri Nagar.

This control room is functioning since June 15 and will continue to function till October 15 or till monsoon withdraws, whichever is later. — PTI