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Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
Nearly 1/4th of MCD drains in Delhi are yet to be desilted: Report
The Southwest monsoon has reached the Capital, and 77.5% of drains have been desilted across the city, as per the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's status report. A total of 2,29,018 metric tonnes of silt has been removed from the drains that come under the civic body's jurisdiction in 12 zones till June 23, the report underlined. The report was issued by the civic body after questions were raised on monsoon preparedness at the first meeting of the Standing Committee on June 27. At 59%, Karol Bagh was at the bottom of the list of 12 zones achieving the total desilting target. In some areas, such as Central Zone and Keshav Puram, the total silt removed exceeded the estimated tonnes of silt. Desilting is an ongoing process, said officials — it started on January 1 and is being carried out in a phased manner. The target is set for the entire year, as per the report. The civic body said a Rs 36 crore budget has been allocated for 2025-2026 for drain cleaning. The report has been segregated into two parts: drains with a depth or width of less than 4 feet, and more than 4 feet. As per an overview of the data, the civic body has desilted small drains in large numbers, but deeper and larger drains remain to be cleared. While Najafgarh, the longest running drain in Delhi, achieved 110% of the desilting target, only 67% of the drains of height or width of 4 feet and above have been desilted in the area. For North Shahdara Zone, the MCD cleared 100 of % silt from small drains (less than 4-ft deep), but only 60% of the targeted silt had been removed from bigger drains. Likewise, for the South Zone, only 63% of silt from the 45 km stretch of deeper drains has been removed before the monsoon. For the West Zone, while 86% of the small drains are cleared, only 67% of the targeted silt from deeper drains has been cleared, as per the report. Six super sucker machines, 10 jetting machines, 32 suction–cum-jetting machines, and 25 skid-steer loaders are being used in the process. The report mentions that the removed silt will be disposed of at the sanitary landfill (SLF) sites in Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi civic body extends 10% property tax rebate till July 31
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has extended the 10 per cent rebate on property tax payments till July 31. The decision was among several citizen-centric resolutions passed during the first meeting of the Standing Committee held at the Civic Centre on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Satya Sharma , the newly appointed Chairperson of the Standing Committee, and saw active participation from all members, who discussed a wide range of issues concerning public welfare. After the meeting, Sharma said that members raised important matters related to the civic body's monsoon preparedness. She said that the MCD Commissioner assured the committee that the corporation had undertaken more work this year compared to the previous year to tackle waterlogging and drainage issues. "New pumps have been installed, dedicated WhatsApp groups have been created for real-time updates, and helpline numbers have been strengthened to function smoothly across all zones," Sharma said. The committee also directed officials to address all concerns promptly and submit an action taken report (ATR) in the next meeting. Sharma said that around 25 agenda items were passed during the meeting, marking what she described as a "productive and decisive beginning" for the new tenure of the Standing Committee. The meeting, she added, reflects the MCD's renewed focus on transparency, responsiveness, and proactive governance aimed at improving the quality of life for Delhi residents.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Important citizen-centric decisions taken in first standing committee meeting of MCD: Chairperson Standing Committee
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The first meeting of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was held on Friday at the Civic Centre, New Delhi, under the chairpersonship of Satya Sharma, Chairperson, Standing Committee, a press release said. After the meeting, Satya Sharma informed the media that each member of the Standing Committee actively participated in the discussions and raised several important issues concerning citizens' welfare. Along with this, there was a positive discussion regarding the preparations of the MCD for the monsoon, and all the members put forward their suggestions. She said that the MCD Commissioner has assured that this year more work has been done as compared to last year and new pumps have been installed, groups have been created through WhatsApp on which updates will be available continuously and it has been ensured that the helpline numbers work smoothly in all the zones of the corporation. The committee deliberated extensively on various agenda items. She further stated that the concerned officials have been directed to resolve all raised issues at the earliest and to present an Action Taken Report (ATR) in the next meeting of the Standing Committee. Highlighting the outcomes, the Chairperson informed that approximately 25 agenda items were passed during this first meeting, marking a productive and decisive beginning of the Committee's tenure. Along with this, the 10 per cent rebate on property tax has been extended till July 31. The meeting reflects MCD's commitment to transparency, responsiveness, and proactive governance for the benefit of Delhi's citizens. (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
MCD panel's members ask for detailed plan for rains
New Delhi: During a Municipal Corporation of Delhi's Standing Committee meeting on Friday, members highlighted concerns about inadequate monsoon preparedness and called for a detailed action plan. Committee members questioned MCD's reported figures of silt removal from drains, noting that despite exceeding targets, waterlogging persists in their areas. Deputy chairman Sunders Singh tabled a short notice questioning the civic body's preparedness. Sriniwaspuri councillor Rajpal Singh proposed establishing 24/7 control rooms with dedicated staff in all 12 zones to address public complaints. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Members also noted that other departments like PWD were conducting manual desilting and had appointed nodal officers, suggesting MCD implement similar measures. In response, MCD Commissioner Ashawni Kumar reported that the civic body aimed to remove 26% more silt compared to last year from 800 drains between Jan and June 15. These drains span 530 km, with an allocated budget of Rs 3,599 lakh for desilting. "Last year, we removed 1 lakh metric tons of silt. This year's target was 1.26 lakh metric tons, and we've already removed 1.56 lakh metric tons. Unlike other departments, we maintain proper records of silt dumped at landfills. For smaller drains covering 6,069 km, our annual target was 40,000 metric tons, and we've achieved 37,000 tonnes," said the commissioner. "However, waterlogging and drain cleaning are two separate issues. There are certain points where waterlogging occurs, and we have arranged pumps there. New pumps have been purchased, and existing ones have been repaired for such places. Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma assured that progress would be monitored and staff had been directed to enhance the city's monsoon preparedness.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Pak, China making headway in Bangladesh, India should keep up': Experts to parliamentary panel
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs was told by experts on Friday that the Pakistan-China nexus is making headway in Bangladesh and that India should keep up with the developments in the country and not be caught napping. The experts told the panel that India should create stakes in Bangladesh and engage with the neighbouring country through people-to-people contact, The Indian Express has learnt. The agenda of the meeting on Friday was to hear experts on 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Four experts in the field of external affairs briefed the Standing Committee on Friday. Former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, retired Army General Syed Ata Hasnain, former high commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Dean of the School of International Studies (JNU) Amitabh Mattoo briefed the committee on Friday. One of the experts is learnt to have told the panel that the Chinese are making a lot of headway in Bangladesh through infrastructure development like building ports and air bases. Another expert said that the role of the media in the two countries developing a bond is quite crucial, and in the recent past, the media has played a negative role in both India and Bangladesh. One expert said that India needs to grasp the reality of the new power structure in Bangladesh and move ahead. The committee was told that India needs to think and move beyond former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and engage with the current ruling dispensation in the country. The panel was also told that the need of the hour was to engage with the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. An Opposition member in the Committee asked the experts how West Bengal could play a role in improving India's relations with Bangladesh. Sharing of river water was also discussed during the meeting, including the Ganga Water Treaty, which is up for renewal in 2026. Members asked the experts about the probable reasons for the trust deficit between India and Bangladesh and what could be done to mend the relationship.
