Delhi literally sank on 28th June 2024 with its highest recorded rainfall in 88 years at 228 mm in 24 hours. No colony was exempt from its fury. This lane also laid bare the serious issues of waterlogging even in A-category colonies like Panchshila Park.The lanes and driveways were submerged in water that even got inside a few cars. Many basements got flooded, resulting in the loss of precious furniture, artefacts, and documents.The MCD and the Society, RWA got into the act and coordinated the effort of cleaning up the debris lying in the drains to improve the flow of water. But it was a case of too little too late.Why did this happen in the first place?A few theories are doing the round. The two most critical things are not desilting the drains and recarpeting of in-colony roads, without scraping the earlier layers, leading to its progressive elevation.
The inaction/slow action of MCD and PWD was evident, but the fault also lay with residents in equal measure. As the colony has flourished, people have cemented the sidewalks outside their homes, including building ramps and elevated flower beds, which have completed covered the drains and made them inaccessible. The drains cannot be cleaned as a result and the rainwater accumulates in such areas, even with a little above average rainfall.There are no easy answers here. If reports are true, the MCD has been given the authority to use JCBs to break the concrete sidewalks and ramps that are covering the drains. This would really be a drastic action. A better thing to do is for individuals to do a proper job of providing access to these drains in areas outside their houses, by partly removing the concrete and placing removable metal covers in its place. (see picture). A resident also suggested that people get together at the lane level and jointly coordinate such an effort. This action requires an act of responsible citizenship and camaraderie between the lane residents.
Whilst we are the fag end of this rainy season, this is a ticking time bomb. Three actions are critical 1. Residents are urged to have a close hard look at their house/lane and take independent action to make the drains more accessible outside their houses, 2. MCD and PWD must do timely desilting of these drains; 3. The government bodies responsible for recarpeting the in-colony and the adjoining main roads must take the necessary precaution of proper levelling and delayering of the existing road before carpeting them.
Let us hope that next time we encounter these conditions, the insane rain stays mainly in the drain.
