Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday blamed the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failing to desilt drains, resulting in chronic waterlogging across Delhi. He pledged that all drains in the city would be cleaned within a month.
During an inspection in Sriniwaspuri, south Delhi—an area with repeated complaints of flooding—Verma said the main drain had remained clogged for years, with last year’s backflow inundating several homes.
“The previous government and the local MLA, who was also the former chief minister, did absolutely nothing. But we don’t care whose constituency it is—our goal is to work across Delhi. We’re in mission mode to ensure all drains are cleaned within a month,” Verma said.
He added that a work order for desilting the Sriniwaspuri drain would be issued within a week and cleaning would begin immediately. Officials have been instructed to video record the process to ensure transparency.
Verma directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to begin desilting from the drain’s origin point near East of Kailash, while the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was asked to clear debris and construction waste from ducts by 19 April. The district magistrate was tasked with removing encroachments, and PWD was instructed to ensure that no drains were illegally linked to DJB ducts.
“The PWD will also raise the boundary wall and install coil fencing over the culvert to prevent encroachment. Police have been asked to provide protection during construction,” he said.
Verma said desilting of major drains has been prioritised by the Delhi government, alongside measures to tackle waterlogging and shortages during peak summer and monsoon.
“Beyond GPS, we’re installing sensors and flow metres in all water tankers to monitor them in real time. This will confirm whether tankers reach their destination and discharge water. There used to be massive irregularities—the tanker mafia was active. Now, payments will only be made if water is delivered properly,” he added.
However, the visit saw political pushback. AAP leader Atishi shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing women protesting against BJP governance during Verma’s visit to Sriniwaspuri. “For the last one and a half months, dirty water has been coming in Sriniwaspuri. Today, when water minister Pravesh Verma came to the area, the police pushed away the people. Why are BJP ministers so afraid to meet common people?” she wrote.
AAP spokesperson Adil Ahmed Khan also criticised the minister on X, saying: “Within just two months, Delhiites have lost faith in the BJP government. Troubled by power cuts, women in Sriniwaspuri fiercely protested against minister Pravesh Verma. Seeing the public’s anger, he fled the spot.”
In a statement, AAP claimed that when residents learned of Verma’s visit, they tried to approach him but were blocked by police. Many women reportedly carried bottles of dirty water to show the minister the contamination in their supply.
Verma did not respond to the allegations.
