LG, AAP trade barbs over Delhi flood preparations

Officials from the lieutenant governor’s secretariat on Sunday alleged that Delhi’s apex committee for flood control, headed by the chief minister, has not met for the last two years even as the blame game continued over flooding in different parts of the Capital over the last week in areas along the Yamuna.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government hit back, saying that they regularly review flood and waterlogging issues, with the irrigation & flood control (I&FC) minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and Public Works Department (PWD) minister Atishi jointly chairing a meeting in May where the preparations were reviewed. The government said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has also been monitoring the situation.

“Regular interdepartmental meetings have been happening to iron out issues regarding floods and waterlogging... The flood control order was issued as per the due process, keeping Delhi’s historical data in mind,” the government said in a statement. The panel is expected to monitor the water level of the Yamuna, safeguard vulnerable points, and ensure coordination between various agencies of the Delhi government, the Union government, the Army, and the Central Water Commission (CWC).

An LG secretariat official said that the compulsory meeting of the flood control committee should have taken place by the end of June.

“As chairman of the committee, the CM chose not to let the meeting happen this year despite the revenue department moving a file on June 19. Even last year, the meeting was not held. The FCO issued this year was without the apex committee meeting...,” the official said. The CM-headed committee comprises all Delhi government ministers, a member of parliament, four MLAs, the chief secretary, the commissioner of police, the MCD commissioner, heads of NDMC, DJB, general officer commanding (GOC) of the Indian Army, a member of CWC and other stakeholders.

The panelis scheduled to meet every year before the onset of the monsoon towards the end of June to review the situation at hand and pass a flood control order for that year.

“The panel takes into account the threats and projections, assesses preparedness, and ensures coordination mechanism between various departments and agencies to handle any eventuality,” an official aware of the development said.

A June 19 order issued by the east district magistrate who is the nodal officer of this apex committee, directed that a proposal be forwarded to the Delhi CM to suggest a suitable time for the meeting in the last week of June and noted that “during last year no formal apex committee meeting was held” and the flood control order was issued by the deputy chief minister.

The file was returned on June 26 with the noting that the CM directed the revenue minister to convene the meeting.

HT has seen a copy of the documents.

“Revenue minister Atishi also did not convene a meeting of the apex committee but an order was issued by her officer on special duty to hold a short meeting on June 30. The DM office issued a notice on June 27 for this short meeting but even that did not happen as the minister was busy avoiding the oath of the new Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman. A second meeting was held on July 6 after which a half-baked flood control order was issued without taking the main stakeholders into confidence,” the LG house official alleged.

The official added that Delhi cabinet ministers were blaming everyone else for the flooding but the government only has itself to blame. The Delhi government, however, said that the flood control order was issued according to due process, keeping Delhi’s historical data in mind.

The operations of the panel include monitoring danger levels, flashing warnings, etc. The panel can call for assistance from Army and issue directions for safeguarding vulnerable points.