Delhi PWD starts 21-day drive to clean drains, roads, and flyovers

Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday announced a 21-day special cleaning and improvement campaign to address “long-standing issues” with Delhi’s roads, drains, and public spaces, aiming to improve what he described as the department’s “deteriorating image.” 

The campaign will include cleaning of roads, desilting of drains, and removal of debris and waterlogging from under flyovers and other public spaces. Verma said the drive would also enforce greater accountability among PWD staff across all levels. “In 21 days, debris, filth and waterlogging must be gone from Delhi,” he told officials during an inspection at Golf Links, an area severely waterlogged during last year’s monsoon.

He added that citywide desilting of drains will be completed by May 31 and that all preventive monsoon work in the Golf Links area and across the city would be wrapped up by May 30. “We came to Golf Links today because this area was heavily waterlogged last monsoon. This time, we are fully prepared. NDMC has issued all necessary work orders, and the work is progressing swiftly,” he said.

Accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj, the minister reviewed sewer lines, stormwater drains, and sump well construction under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). He said three new sump wells were under construction to improve rainwater management, and pumps had already been installed to redirect water to main drains. A super sucker machine has been operating daily for the past 10 days to intensively desilt the system, Verma added.

During his address to PWD officials, Verma strongly criticized the department’s current functioning and public perception. “PWD’s image has deteriorated, and the public has lost trust in the PWD. When roads are dug, they remain that way for months. Drain cleaning remains incomplete. People think of the PWD as a department where work gets stuck in files. This image must change. We all must work together to restore the department’s dignity,” he said.

He also issued a stern warning about departmental accountability: “We won’t take action only against JEs (junior engineers) or AEs (assistant engineers). If the chief engineer needs to be suspended, we’ll do it. Anyone negligent will be held accountable regardless of rank.”