Delhi HC urges govt for unified action to check waterlogging

The Delhi High Court has called on senior officials of the Delhi Government to devise a unified administrative framework to tackle the perennial problem of waterlogging in the Capital.

A Division Bench, comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, lamented the “enormous confusion” arising from overlapping responsibilities among civic agencies.

Hearing a petition over flooding around the Tamoor Nagar drain near Maharani Bagh, the Bench criticised the lack of effective coordination among the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and others.

“Multiple agencies are operating without a clear delineation of duties, leading to habitual ‘passing of the buck’,” the court observed.

The court, however, noted that the problem is not confined to governmental inaction. In several colonies, storm water channels are obstructed by residents who build cement pathways over drains, preventing proper flow and compounding flooding woes.

“In view of these entrenched issues, the time has come for the Delhi Government to decide on a centralised model for managing civic services,” the Bench asserted. It directed that the order be placed before the Chief Secretary and other senior functionaries. If necessary, it may even be placed before the Lieutenant Governor to agree on a streamlined administrative structure.

The matter will now be heard on August 19. Till then, the Delhi Government is expected to present its plan to consolidate flood management responsibilities and ensure that waterlogging no longer paralyses key areas of the city.