Delhi govt restricts leaves for key depts ahead of monsoon

The Delhi government on Friday issued an order restricting leave for officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department till September 15 to ensure smooth operations and reduce waterlogging concerns during the monsoon season.

According to the order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), no leave of any kind will be approved or recommended for officials from the rank of junior engineer and above, except in cases of extreme medical emergencies.

Parvesh Verma, the minister overseeing all three departments, stressed the importance of timely preparedness, noting that every year people suffer “due to severe problems of waterlogging, bad road conditions and flooding across the city during the monsoon.” The order noted that with the monsoon approaching fast, work must be carried out on a “war footing” through the completion of desilting of drains, implementation of preventive measures against waterlogging and flooding, repairs of roads, and the removal of unwanted materials from roads and drains across the city.  

“Even during monsoon, all the concerned departments must be on alert mode to meet any emerging challenge,” the order added.

Highlighting the urgency, traffic police data showed that waterlogging hotspots in Delhi have more than doubled, from 194 in 2024 to 445 this year. These hotspots are identified annually by traffic police based on locations that experienced more than five days of waterlogging during the previous monsoon season. PWD continues to account for the largest share, with 335 of the 445 identified hotspots, as it is responsible for maintaining all arterial roads in the city, officials said. With a few hotspots under NDMC, irrigation department, revenue department, and traffic police, most of them are under the MCD.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has claimed that measures are being undertaken to make Delhi “waterlogging-free” this year. Waterlogging has been a recurring issue attributed to factors such as the ageing drainage network and silt accumulation. Last year, it even resulted in the deaths of three students in Old Rajinder Nagar after they were trapped in a flooded basement of a coaching centre.

To prevent similar incidents, Parvesh Verma announced that all 1,400 km of drains under the PWD would be desilted by May 31 and that other agencies are also working to clean the drains under their respective jurisdictions. Additionally, Verma stated that automatic pumps have been deployed with operators working in shifts round the clock to address any water accumulation resulting from heavy rainfall during the season.  

According to officials, engineers have been deputed as in-charges at all identified waterlogging spots under PWD, and Verma has warned that strict action would be taken if waterlogging persists despite these preparations.