‘Pathetic situation’: Delhi HC on waterlogging, drainage issues in national capital

During the hearing, the Acting Chief Justice said, “Every year during monsoon you see a famous photograph of Minto Bridge where a bus is drowned there… It’s a pathetic situation. The sewage system of the city needs to be looked at”.

Giving an example of a house in the New Delhi area, the Acting Chief Justice told the counsels appearing for the various authorities, “It gets submerged every monsoon with 6 feet of water. This happened last year as well… A snake came in due to the flow of water. This is the callousness of the authorities in the New Delhi area. What will happen in the rest of Delhi?”.

“Things are very, very bad, to put it mildly. And your agencies cannot be tamed by anyone. Everybody is a tiger in his own area, nobody listens to anyone or any advice,” the bench said.

The bench also asked whether the town water drain could be segregated from the rainwater drain.

Remarking that “reform will have to come from within”, the bench asked the Centre, Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) among others to get instructions on the issue and listed the matter on January 16.

The court also asked the counsels representing the various authorities to have a “brainstorming session” with their clients and come up with some solutions.

“Take a sample stretch from the HC to the Yamuna River. Tell us about all the agencies involved (concerning the drains therein). Check up and come back,” the bench said.