NEW DELHI: Busy with the Covid-19 containment drive for the past few months, the civic bodies have finally started the work to desilt drains before the monsoon.
The three municipal corporations, the public works department and other related agencies have taken permission from Delhi government and will remove silt regularly from roadsides to avoid unhygienic condition. Residents in several areas have also urged the agencies to intensify spraying of disinfectants to control mosquito breeding and vector-borne diseases.
An East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) official said the work had started with drains below 4 feet in Dilshad Garden and Shahdara. “We submitted our plan to the principal secretary of the urban development department and also took permission from three district magistrates for the work. Our department is ensuring silt is removed regularly,” he said.
On Tuesday, TOI found desilting work being carried out in central Delhi’s Paharganj and Karol Bagh, and east Delhi’s Loni Road and some areas near Swami Dayanand Hospital.
Last month, Delhi government held a meeting with various department and agency officials. In the meeting, headed by UD principal secretary Rajiv Yaduvanshi, the agencies said the work had been delayed due to the lockdown.
An official of South Delhi Municipal Corporation said 243 drains were more than 4ft deep and machines had been deployed at Chirag Delhi Nullah, August Kranti Marg drain near Siri Fort Auditorium, Vasant Vihar, Greater Kailash, RK Puram and other places. It plans to finish the work by May 15.
But residents are doubtful as the work usually gets over by the first week of June even when it starts in March. “This year no work started till April end. We are already facing mosquito problems,” said a GK resident.
“The process of spraying insecticides was affected after the staff got diverted for the anti-virus drive. But since last Sunday, we have told them to simultaneously spray insecticides,” said Sandeep Kapoor, standing committee chairman of EDMC.
As per SDMC’s latest report, released on Monday, 16 malaria and 13 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi this year against two malaria and eight dengue cases till this time in 2019. Chikungunya cases have also increased from four to 10.
Till May 2, domestic mosquito breeding checkers have visited 29.5 lakh houses against 91.4 lakh during the same period in 2019. Similarly, 36,000 houses have been sprayed in comparison to 2.2 lakh in 2019 and the corporations have taken up only 1,183 violation cases against 8,347 last year.
The three municipal corporations, the public works department and other related agencies have taken permission from Delhi government and will remove silt regularly from roadsides to avoid unhygienic condition. Residents in several areas have also urged the agencies to intensify spraying of disinfectants to control mosquito breeding and vector-borne diseases.
An East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) official said the work had started with drains below 4 feet in Dilshad Garden and Shahdara. “We submitted our plan to the principal secretary of the urban development department and also took permission from three district magistrates for the work. Our department is ensuring silt is removed regularly,” he said.
On Tuesday, TOI found desilting work being carried out in central Delhi’s Paharganj and Karol Bagh, and east Delhi’s Loni Road and some areas near Swami Dayanand Hospital.
Last month, Delhi government held a meeting with various department and agency officials. In the meeting, headed by UD principal secretary Rajiv Yaduvanshi, the agencies said the work had been delayed due to the lockdown.
An official of South Delhi Municipal Corporation said 243 drains were more than 4ft deep and machines had been deployed at Chirag Delhi Nullah, August Kranti Marg drain near Siri Fort Auditorium, Vasant Vihar, Greater Kailash, RK Puram and other places. It plans to finish the work by May 15.
But residents are doubtful as the work usually gets over by the first week of June even when it starts in March. “This year no work started till April end. We are already facing mosquito problems,” said a GK resident.
“The process of spraying insecticides was affected after the staff got diverted for the anti-virus drive. But since last Sunday, we have told them to simultaneously spray insecticides,” said Sandeep Kapoor, standing committee chairman of EDMC.
As per SDMC’s latest report, released on Monday, 16 malaria and 13 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi this year against two malaria and eight dengue cases till this time in 2019. Chikungunya cases have also increased from four to 10.
Till May 2, domestic mosquito breeding checkers have visited 29.5 lakh houses against 91.4 lakh during the same period in 2019. Similarly, 36,000 houses have been sprayed in comparison to 2.2 lakh in 2019 and the corporations have taken up only 1,183 violation cases against 8,347 last year.
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