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This is an archive article published on June 29, 2024

Only 40% drains under the MCD were desilted until night before highest single-day rainfall in Delhi

Mayor Shelly Oberoi claimed that the MCD is working in close coordination with other civic agencies.

delhi drainage system, delhi MCD, delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, delhi PWD, Irrigation, Flood Control, Delhi Jal Board, DSIIDC, delhi waterlogging, Indian express newsMCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi inspects the situation. (Express File Photo)

Friday’s downpour and the resultant waterlogging across Delhi shone spotlight over one civic issue in particular: Desilting of drains.

Last week, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) told The Indian Express that of the 713 drains it is responsible for, only 259 had been desilted. On June 27, the night before the heavy rain, the number had barely improved to 290 drains — amounting to only 40% drains being desilted, as per MCD data. However, according to the MCD, over 73,404 tonnes of silt has been removed from these drains — which is 94% of the target of 78,062 tonnes it had set for this year.

The MCD had initially set a deadline of May 30 for desilting the drains, which was then extended to June 15, and then again to June 30. Despite this, more than half of the work is yet to be complete. “The number of drains that are less than 4 feet deep in all the zones of MCD is 20,884. Their cleaning is done at the departmental level. The number of drains over 4 feet deep is 713 and their cleaning is mainly done through the tender process,” said an MCD official.

The Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for 2,064 km of drains.

For 2024-2025, the MCD’s action plan was to remove 127,368 metric tonnes of silt in two phases. The first phase, with a target of 78,062 metric tonnes, was set to be completed by June 15, and the second phase, with a target of 49,305 metric tonnes, by January 15, 2025.

The challenges

Emphasising on challenges faced in desilting, an MCD official said, “The MCD has both big and small drains under its jurisdiction. Untimely rainfall complicates our task. We must collaborate with other agencies, and if one agency lags, our progress suffers.”

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Another official highlighted the issue of covered drains: “In many areas, drains are covered and desilting those areas becomes difficult. Orders were passed to remove these covers but they still exist. Besides, encroachments next to the drains pose significant challenges to our ground-level workers.”

Mayor Shelly Oberoi claimed that the MCD is working in close coordination with other civic agencies. “The MCD is closely collaborating with the PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control, Delhi Jal Board, and DSIIDC to tackle waterlogging comprehensively,” she stated in a press release.

Oberoi also convened an emergency meeting with MCD officials and Zonal Deputy Commissioners and announced that additional super sucker machines and other necessary resources would be provided in all zones.

Saman Husain is a Correspondent at The Indian Express. Based in New Delhi, she is an emerging voice in political journalism, reporting on civic governance, elections, migration, and the social consequences of policy, with a focus on ground-reporting across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Honours) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beats: Her reporting focuses on the national capital’s governance and politics. She specializes in Delhi’s civic administration and the city units of the BJP, AAP and Congress. In western Uttar Pradesh, she mostly reports on crime. Specialization: She has a keen interest in electoral processes and politics — her recent contributions include work on electoral roll revisions. Recent Notable Articles (since July 2025) Her recent work reflects a strong show-not-tell approach to storytelling, combining narrative reporting with political and historical context: 1. Politics: “On the banks of the Yamuna, a political tussle for Purvanchali support” (October 6): A report on how migration histories shaped electoral strategies in Delhi before the Bihar elections. “Explained: How Delhi’s natural drainage vanished gradually over the centuries” (September 29): An explanatory piece tracing the historical reasons that eventually led to the erosion of Delhi’s rivers and its impact on perrenial flooding. 2. Longforms “Four weddings, three funerals: How a Uttar Pradesh man swindled insurance companies” (October 7): A long-read reconstructing a chilling fraud by a man who killed three of his family members, including both his parents for insurance proceeds. His fourth wife discovered his fraud… “How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy of a country that doesn’t exist — for 9 years” (July 27) : A story on bizarre fraud operation and the institutional blind spots that enabled it. 3. Crime and Justice: “He was 8 when his father was killed. Fifteen years later, in UP’s Shamli, he took revenge” (October 18): A deeply reported crime story tracing cycles of violence, memory and justice in rural Uttar Pradesh. “Who killed 19 girls in Nithari? With the SC rejecting appeals, there are no answers and no closure” (July 31): A report capturing the long legal and emotional aftermath of one of India’s most chilling unsolved criminal cases. 4. Policy Impact “At Manthan, over US tariffs, Delhi-NCR’s apparel industry brainstorms solutions” (September 8) and “Trump’s 50% tariff begins to bite: Agra’s leather belt feels the impact” (August 13) : Reports documenting how global trade decisions ripple through local industries, workers and exporters. Signature Style Saman is recognized for her grassroots storytelling. Her articles often focus on the "people behind the policy". She is particularly skilled at taking mundane administrative processes and turning them into compelling human narratives. X (Twitter): @SamanHusain9 ... Read More

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