Parvesh’s visit to CP opens floodgates of Oppn. flak over monsoon readiness

New Delhi

A day after heavy rain left several parts of Delhi waterlogged, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued to exchange barbs on Sunday over the city’s flood preparedness.

The verbal duels intensified after Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh visited Connaught Place to inspect drainage issues, prompting AAP to accuse him of “waking up 24 hours after the city drowned” rather than being on the ground during the crisis.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi received 26.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday, with no downpour recorded between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. More showers are likely daily until August 16.

Mr. Singh said he had visited the Connaught Place site late on Saturday when heavy rain caused waterlogging along a 100-metre stretch near the popular Kake Da Hotel area.

‘Century-old problem’

He blamed the problem on a century-old British-era barrel drainage system that has been altered over the years, causing severe flow restrictions.

“To ease the load, we have installed two high-capacity pumps to push water forward more efficiently,” he said, adding that the Public Works Department is conducting a detailed study to find permanent fixes.

The Minister highlighted that 34 critical waterlogging points, including Zakhira Underpass, Minto Bridge, Moolchand, and ITO, remained water-free this year, a change he credited to the government’s interventions.

“This year, water accumulation on PWD roads has been significantly lower. We are working on every point and will ensure that in the coming years, Delhi will be completely free from waterlogging,” Mr. Singh said.

AAP’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Mr. Singh of conducting a delayed and meaningless inspection.

‘Fooling people’

“Does Parvesh Verma even own a watch? Someone should gift him one. Waterlogging happened on Saturday, a child drowned in an open sewer on Saturday, and now, on Sunday, when not a drop of water is on the streets, he is inspecting Connaught Place. Who is he trying to fool?” he said.

Mr. Bharadwaj asked why the Minister had not visited the families of the seven persons who had died when a wall collapsed in Jaitpur on Saturday. 

Expressing grief over the deaths, Mr. Singh called it “an unfortunate and heartbreaking incident” and promised steps to ensure such tragedies never occur again.