'PRIMARY REASON FOR WATERLOGGING...': UNION ENVIRONMENT MINISTER CRITICISES DELHI GOVT ON INACTION OVER SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attributed the waterlogging in Delhi following torrential rains on Friday morning to drains being clogged with plastic waste and criticised the Delhi government for its inaction despite multiple reminders.
“We banned single-use plastic and also asked the Delhi government to take action. We have asked the Delhi government’s industries department several times to close down these (single-use plastic manufacturing) units,” Yadav said in an event on June 28.
He said these units have not only contributed to environmental hazards but also experienced industrial disasters, and yet the “Delhi government has remained inactive”.
“The primary reason for waterlogging is the clogging of drains due to polythene. We need to bring changes in personal behaviour, and this should also be part of local governance,” he said.
The Safdarjung Observatory, the national capital’s primary weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on June 28, more than three times the June rainfall average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month in at least 16 years.
The season’s first heavy spell of rain halted normal life with waterlogging on several roads and underpasses, vehicles floating in water, long traffic snarls, with many residents expressing frustration over the city’s drainage infrastructure.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather station at Lodhi Road logged 192.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, Ridge 150.4 mm, Palam 106.6 mm, Delhi University 139 mm, Pitampura 138 mm, Pusa 89 mm, Mayur Vihar 75 mm, and Tughlakabad 70.5 mm.
The IMD has officially declared the arrival of the southwest Monsoon in Delhi.
The heavy downpour caused a portion of roof to collapse at Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 departure area killing one person and left eight injured. The incident also led cancellation of all departure operations from the terminal and delay of multiple flights.
Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena called an emergency meeting, after visuals and reports of waterlogging surfaced on social media from across the city. The LG, in the emergency meeting, took note of the lack of preparedness and the response system, said the LG’s office. Saxena also ordered officials to set up an emergency control room to address the reports of waterlogging.
The revenue department has been asked to activate the disaster response cell under DDMA in case of excessive rainfall.
2024-06-28T11:29:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd