300 of 696 permanent drainage pumps not functional, says BJP

New Delhi, July 1

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has criticised the Arvind Kejriwal government for its handling of the recent floods in the Capital, attributing the primary cause to the failure to operate water drainage pumps. During a press conference, Sachdeva highlighted severe operational shortcomings in the city’s water drainage system, which he claimed led to widespread flooding and disruptions.

Compensate traders

The Delhi Government and MC should compensate for the damage caused to traders of wholesale markets in Old Delhi. — Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi BJP chief

“On June 28, out of Delhi’s 696 permanent water drainage pumps, 400 were not working, and even today, almost 300 are still not operational,” said Sachdeva, emphasising the gravity of the situation. “If it rains again today, Delhi will flood again,” he added.

Sachdeva refuted the government’s claim that the model code of conduct prevented the installation of additional pumps. “The excuse that additional water drainage pumps could not be installed due to the model code of conduct is weak. The code ended on June 5, and Public Works Minister Atishi could have tendered on June 6 or 7 and installed additional pumps by June 20,” he asserted.

He demanded transparency from the government, urging Atishi to reveal the total number of permanent and temporary water drainage pumps required for the monsoon and how many are currently operational.

Sachdeva also called for substantial compensation for those affected by the floods. “The Delhi Government should provide compensation of Rs 1 crore per person for the deaths caused by flooding and compensate citizens for property damage,” he stated.

Highlighting further operational failures, Sachdeva mentioned that over 100 pumps were non-functional due to a lack of diesel. He pointed out that even the pumps inspected by Atishi herself at the Minto Road Bridge and Bharti Nagar Pumping Station were not fully operational.

“Every year during the monsoon, around 1,300 additional temporary water drainage pumps are rented and installed, but this year not a single one has been installed,” Sachdeva noted.