New Delhi, Jan 22(.) Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma on Thursday blamed the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for persistent waterlogging in Kirari constituency, alleging that no effective sewer or drainage infrastructure was created in the area for over a decade.
Addressing a press conference, Verma said waterlogging in Kirari has been widely highlighted on social media over the past week.
“I hope opposition leaders are also watching this press conference. What work was done by the previous government during its 11 years in power?” he asked, adding that even senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had shown interest in the issue.
During the briefing, Verma displayed media reports from the past 10 years documenting repeated incidents of drain and sewer water flooding in colonies of Kirari.
He said that when Arvind Kejriwal became Chief Minister, areas such as Sharma Colony did not face waterlogging, but by 2022, drain water had accumulated there.
The minister pointed out that Sharma Colony is located in a low-lying area and that around 10 lakh people live in Kirari constituency.
He said the colony was developed before 2000 and alleged that no sewer line was laid there by successive Congress or AAP governments.
Verma said the absence of proper outlets for rainwater and sewage resulted in water accumulating in low-lying pockets. He claimed that during its tenure, the AAP government spent only Rs 43 lakh on sewer-related work in Kirari.
He said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had planned a drainage project worth Rs 100 crore in 2020, and construction work on the drain has now begun. Subsequently, the Delhi Jal Board initiated sewer line projects worth Rs 480 crore in 114 unauthorised colonies including Kirari, but failed to plan connectivity to sewage treatment plants, he alleged.
According to Verma, the sewer work was to be completed by December 2024 but was stalled as contractors stopped work due to non-payment.
“After BJP government came to power, the work was restarted and will be completed by June 2026,” he said.
He added that three sewage pumping stations are being constructed to carry waste to the Rohini Sewage Treatment Plant. A new 4.5-kilometre drain worth Rs 220 crore is also being built by the Irrigation and Flood Control department and is expected to be completed within one-and-a-half years.
Verma informed that land filling is underway in Kirari to raise ground levels, and sewer lines are being laid above ground level. “Within six months, sewer overflow will not be seen in Kirari,” he asserted.
The minister said sewer network projects have also been initiated in Deoli, Badarpur, Najafgarh and Tughlakabad. He challenged the AAP to explain whether any sewer networks, drainage systems or treatment plants were built in these areas during its rule.
Verma said additional work worth Rs 112 crore is underway on drains to carry rainwater out of Kirari, while drainage work in Sharma Colony has started using MP funds.
Accusing the AAP of inaction for 11 years, Verma said waterlogging videos from Kirari have looked the same for the past decade.
“I promise the people of Kirari that no waterlogging videos will be seen from this constituency in the future” he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, in a post on social media platform X, described the current situation of Kirari area faced by ordinary citizens as a “living hell”.
Gandhi alleged that the system has compromised itself before those in power and warned that unchecked greed has led to severe urban decay. Calling this rot the “new normal”, Gandhi urged people to demand accountability, warning that failure to do so would allow the crisis to reach every doorstep.
. PKJ KK