Jung’s monsoon warning: Dump concrete waste at illegal sites, face criminal action

While reviewing the preparedness of the city to deal with clogged drains and traffic management during the monsoon, Jung directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to clear their under-construction sites of all construction debris and improve traffic management at these places.

“The Lt-Governor instructed the DMRC not to leave concrete waste at their construction sites and to improve traffic management at the places. He also instructed the discoms to ensure that no digging is done during the monsoon,” a senior Raj Niwas official said.

May-end has been set as the deadline for finishing the task of desilting drains and clearing construction waste after which a review meeting would be held in the first week of June.

A statement issued by the Lt-Governor’s office said Jung has ordered “strict criminal proceedings against those dumping malba at unauthorised sites within the city”.

The Lt-Governor has also instructed the municipal corporations to carry out desilting work in drains less than 4-ft deep in all unauthorised colonies “irrespective of the agency dealing with the development works there”.

Jung also instructed all stakeholders “to ensure sufficient number of telephone lines in control rooms, wherever necessary” and that staff should be available round the clock to operate pumps placed at vulnerable points and roads that get water-logged during the monsoon, an official said.

Jung has designated the district commissioners of the Revenue department as nodal officers for coordination among various agencies and stakeholders.

L-G takes stock of city subways

Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday called a meeting to discuss the maintenance, cleanliness and optimum utilisation of subways in Delhi and stressed on the need to ensure security in all the 39 subways.

All agencies concerned have been given three months to prepare a roadmap for achieving the goal.

In order to make subways safer, Jung ordered that necessary steps should be taken by all agencies concerned to auction the 103 shops or spaces in these subways maintained by the Public Works Department and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

“The Lt-Governor has directed that auctioning of these shops or spaces should be carried out on the pattern of auction of commercial spaces by the DDA, DSIIDC, DIMTS, etc., so that people feel encouraged to use the subways. Proper maintenance and security in these 39 subways will ensure more people use them,” a government official said.

According to him, after these shops are auctioned, the remaining space can be used for advertisements as well as beautification. “This will also lead to revenue generation,” the official said.

To remove beggars and drug addicts from subways in Connaught Place, the NDMC had earlier proposed renting out spaces in subways to coffee shops or bakeries.