G20 preparations: Ahead of the G20 meeting in the national capital next month, a contingency plan has been devised to tackle waterlogging issues at the venue of the event and other strategic locations to deal with rain during the two-day event in September, officials said on Thursday (August 24).
Having a battery of tractor-mounted heavy duty 50 horsepower pumps deployed to clear the excess water, mechanical road sweeping (MRS) vehicles, also mounted with heavy water jetting machines to clear mud and silt off roadsides, and a 'super sucker' to clear clogged drains and sewer lines are part of the plan put in place, they added.
The machines will be used in two shifts of 12 hours each in their round-the-clock usage and will be monitored by a sanitary inspector, a helper, and a probationer IAS and DANICS officer.
According to the officials, the SDMs of the respective areas have been entrusted with the supervision of these vehicles and personnel.
The solid plan comes after a tunnel leading to Ring Road at Pragati Maidan, the main site of the Summit, witnessed waterlogging and was submerged in water after heavy rain lashed the city last month.
The plan involved collecting water in small reservoirs of 1,000 litre capacity each which is then pumped into reservoirs of 2,000 litre capacity, and further into reservoirs of 50,000 litre capacity.
The collected water is then pumped into the nearest drain for discharge into the Yamuna, the officials said.
Delhi LG inspects sites
Delhi LG VK Saxena on Wednesday inspected several sites that are prone to waterlogging and reviewed the preparedness, a Raj Niwas official said.
During his inspection, the LG covered the route from Pragati Maidan Gate No 5 on Bhairon Marg to Rajghat and reviewed the flood management.
"We've come a long way since the flooding in July. Checked our preparedness for preventing water logging in the Pragati Maidan tunnel towards ring road. Extra water is being successfully pumped out through a triple grade reservoir system of 1, 3 and 50 K litres into the main drain," the LG wrote on X.
The LG, in a recent G20 preparation review meeting, had directed the officials to formulate a contingency plan to deal with heavy waterlogging around the international convention centre at Pragati Maidan which is the venue of the Summit, besides Rajghat, hotels where delegates will stay and other strategic locations, if there is a heavy rainfall in the city.
The G20 Summit will be held on September 9-10 in which leaders of several countries will visit the national capital. US President Joe Biden will visit New Delhi from September 7 to 10.
(With PTI inputs)
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