Wed Mar 19 19:30:23 UTC 2025: **Delhi CM Oversees Desilting of Sunehri Pul Drain Amidst NGT Pressure**
NEW DELHI, March 20, 2025 – Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena and Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, inspected the desilting work of the Sunehri Pul drain on Monday. This follows an NGT directive last month regarding the slow pace of desilting work in several Delhi drains ahead of the monsoon season.
The inspection revealed that sections of the drain had been covered with concrete, necessitating the cutting of slabs to access the accumulated silt. CM Gupta stated that the concrete coverings, installed in the past, had hampered the drain’s functionality and contributed to waterlogging during monsoon seasons. The use of advanced machinery is being employed to remove years of accumulated silt.
The I&FCD manages 24 major drains in Delhi, all leading to the Yamuna River. Following an NGT hearing on February 21st, the I&FCD was ordered to complete the desilting of 23 drains by May 31, 2025, with the Najafgarh drain targeted for completion by June 30, 2027. Subsequent reports clarified that the MCD will handle desilting of covered sections of drains like the Kushak drain, while the I&FCD addresses open portions. Desilting of the Kushak drain is yet to commence.
First Piper 