Much confusion on who does what, even upkeep of drains: HC to Delhi government | India News

NEW DELHI: The time has come for Delhi government to take a complete choice on how civic providers ought to be managed, the excessive courtroom mentioned Monday, citing the “enormous confusion” amongst numerous companies, even on the important thing challenge of controlling waterlogging. This, it mentioned, had led to “passing the buck on most occasions”. It cited a “glaring example” of such confusion in the best way stormwater drains fall below PWD, whereas sewage line upkeep is below MCD, lamenting that this has “led to non-maintenance of either of the lines, leading to excessive flooding in Delhi”.“Neither of these drain pipes is being properly managed by the respective agency, which seems to be passing the responsibility to the other agency,” a particular bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet PS Arora famous.In most colonies, it added, stormwater drains had been additionally blocked by residents or constructions, leaving them “perpetually clogged”. Directing that its order be despatched to the chief secretary, who in flip ought to place it earlier than the best functionaries of Delhi government, the courtroom mentioned the authorities should resolve on centralising the administration and administration of drains. If required, the matter could be positioned earlier than Delhi’s lieutenant governor, the courtroom added.‘Multiplicity of companies leads to passing of buck’ The excessive courtroom was listening to two suo motu petitions coping with waterlogging and rainwater harvesting, apart from easing site visitors jams within the nationwide capital through the monsoon and at different occasions of the 12 months.In the pending petition, a recent plea was filed by the Residents Welfare Association of Maharani Bagh, saying a brand new drawback arose due to the motion of the Delhi govt’s public works division (PWD). The courtroom has been analyzing numerous facets associated to the Taimur Nagar drain adjoining to Maharani Bagh colony and has been issuing instructions from time to time.During the most recent listening to, the bench was knowledgeable that sure effectively marks or holes had been made within the partitions on the ring highway by means of which water flowed into the Maharani Bagh colony, flooding the world. The PWD argued that these weren’t new holes however effectively marks that already existed and had been blocked by the residents and had now been opened. The courtroom was additionally knowledgeable that the highway was earlier with the PWD and is now with the MCD.The courtroom famous that the residents’ plea confirmed the apathy prevalent in Delhi due to a number of companies functioning and identified that it has to summon companies, together with MCD, PWD, DJB, DDA, and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, earlier than it for a consensus to be arrived at, and for efficient implementation of its instructions.“Between these agencies, there is enormous confusion, which is caused due to improper delineation of responsibilities, leading to passing the buck on most occasions,” the courtroom mentioned. On the Maharani Bagh challenge, the bench directed the PWD and MCD to maintain a gathering with the residents on Aug 2 after conducting a website inspection and file a joint standing report on the efforts to clear up the problem.The excessive courtroom additionally sought the presence of an official from AIIMS to reply why there was a delay in clearances relating to the laying down of a brand new sewer pipeline within the space.