Let’s not blame Yamuna for Delhi floods; administrative apathy is real culprit

When Delhi was temporarily marooned recently, the Delhi government blamed the floods in the Yamuna river for the three days of waterlogging in the National Capital. Ironically, the Yamuna began rising only from Monday evening when the waterlogging in the city had started to clear. It would, therefore, be incorrect to blame the Yamuna for a flood like situation in the city, which happened because the silt from the choked drains was not cleared. Delhi faced temporary deluge because the state government didn’t prepare the city for such an eventuality. Even when the city was marooned, some of the ministers could be seen indulging in photo-ops, with a few posing in front of cameras in knee-deep water or taking a boat ride. It is a minister’s responsibility to put a system in place in advance and keep it functional to avoid such miseries. The Public Works Department (PWD), the MCDs, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the revenue and flood and irrigation departments are responsible for cleaning and maintaining roads and drains in the city. However, the majority of the responsibility rests with the MCD and the DJB. Of these, only NDMC is today not under the supervision of the AAP. Anyway, NDMC covers a very small area and all its drains fall into the drainage system managed by the MCD or the DJB. One minister in a video message said that it seldom rained in Delhi during the month of July. Come on Sir, the scheduled time of arrival of monsoon in Delhi is after 20 June. July and August, coinciding with the Indian calendar month of Shravan, have always been the months which receive maximum rains. The city was flooded not because of the heavy downpour but because the MCD, which is now under the control of the AAP, failed miserably to clear silt from the clogged drains. This happened because there isn’t any sanitation committee in place for the cleaning of the drains. The city mayor made loud claims before the monsoon had arrived of having got the drains cleaned, but none of the committees of the corporation are functional and the civic services lying in a limbo. Municipal Corporation works through various committees with the standing committee the apex body. The chairman of the standing committee functions as the executive head of the political wing of the corporation, whereas the Commissioner is the head of the administrative arm. Both the offices work hand-in-hand to make the corporation function smoothly. However, the mayor has reportedly scuttled the election of these bodies as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the numbers to dominate these committees. The bane of governance in Delhi in the past decade has been that the government of the day has chosen politics over administration. The issue of the election of the Standing Committee is now pending before the Supreme Court, thus the constitution of all the related committees like on sanitation and education among others stand delayed. In the absence of these committees, the officials are working and spending on what’s called ‘anticipatory approvals’ and would regularise all actions as and when the committees are formed. This is a perfect example of how petty politics trumps governance which exemplifies in the shape of clogged drains and flooded roads of the National Capital. These acts can also amount to financial malpractice as in the absence of political accountability splurging and embezzlement become rampant. As for the floods in the Yamuna, instead of bemoaning it, the concerned minister should be happy. When Yamuna is in floods, it overflows into the river plain and recharges the groundwater stock, which in the National Capital is abysmally low. A Yamuna with good discharge during the rainy season also helps clean the river of the filth, which flows into it as systems for prevention of water pollution are in a shambles. Moreover, blaming the neighbouring state of Haryana for flooding Delhi by releasing water is ludicrous. Can anybody hold the discharge by a river in flood? If one goes by the minister’s logic, the Uttar Pradesh government should lodge a complaint about Delhi releasing waters through the Okhla barrage. The writer is an author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.