A DTC bus and two Tempos one Auto submerged in water under the Minto Bridge in New Delhi after heavy rain. (Express file photo by Prem Nath Pandey) To address ‘flood prone’ areas of the national capital, the Public Works Department (PWD) is making efforts to improve monitoring and alert mechanisms. Four CCTVs have been installed in and around Minto Bridge, where a 56-year-old man drowned last year. Footage will be monitored from the flood control room and on the phones of field staff, said officials.
The CCTV cameras have been installed in four locations — the road under the bridge, near the pumps, panels and discharge points. Further, officials said that a level sensor with a hooter has been installed. The hooter will raise an alarm when the water reaches a predetermined level. In case the water level on the road is over 20 cm, officials will inform the Traffic Police for road closure.
A permanent solution for the area in the form of a new drainage system had been proposed last year but little progress has been made so far and the project is still in planning and consultation phases.
Like every year, the department creates a watchlist of vulnerable locations. This year, 147 vulnerable points have been identified. Officials said that a permanent solution, such as improved drainage systems, was made for 62 locations, which were removed from last year’s list. At another 18 points, solutions have been made and their efficacy will be tested this monsoon before they are removed from the list.
When roads get flooded, pumps are deployed to get rid of the water. The number of pumps are up from 241 in 2020 to 336 this year. Thirty critical waterlogging locations have been identified and engineers have been assigned to keep an eye out. An official said, “We plan to install CCTV cameras at other vulnerable points as well. This would help us act quickly in case of any emergency.”
Every year, inter-departmental coordination committees are formed along with officers and members of the PWD, the MCDs, Delhi Development Authority, Jal Board, Railways, DUSIB, among the other departments. The committee is responsible for holding regular meetings to check on waterlogging in vulnerable locations, monitoring desilting works, and resolving interdepartmental issues.
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