Monsoon again throws Delhi out of gear

NEW DELHI - Waterlogging, traffic snarls, stinking garbage and an outbreak of dengue…Delhi’s perennial problems during the monsoon continue and the authorities seem to have no permanent solutions.

“Due to lack of proper civic amenities like proper drainage system, waterlogging has been reported in most areas. Even during light showers, vehicles break down on the roads, causing heavy traffic jams across the city,” a Delhi traffic police official told IANS, requesting anonymity.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also experienced what all Delhi commuters go through when she went to inspect the Commonwealth Games work and got stuck in traffic jam for two hours owing to waterlogging on a rainy day last month.

But the authorities concerned have no permanent solutions so far to resolve the civic problems due to rains.

“Several agencies are involved in the civic work. Even as the Games are knocking the door, these agencies are passing the buck on each other, instead of taking effective steps to resolve the problems,” Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Working Committee Chairman Jagdish Mamgain said.

“By blaming the MCD alone, the problems will not get solved. Every year, Delhi faces monsoon woes. All government agencies blame each other but don’t do their job,” he said.

“If there is waterlogging or road caves in at a particular area, government agencies should swing into action without taking into account whose jurisdiction it belongs to. They should then take action, pass out a letter or impose fine on the agency concerned,” he added.

Apart from traffic snarls and waterlogging, several incidents of electrocution, in which mostly children lost their lives due to unattended low-lying high tension wires, are reported frequently during the monsoon.

Adding to the woes of the people, Delhi recorded an outbreak of dengue as, according to many, trenches dug up for the “beautification and street-scaping” in several areas ahead of the Commonwealth Games, have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

As many as 384 dengue cases have been reported so far, according to the MCD. However, the capital’s private hospitals informed that many more are affected by the vector-borne disease.

“Water is stagnating in our area due to the construction work ahead of the Commonwealth Games and it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Many women and children have fallen ill here,” said Junaid, a resident of Batla House in south Delhi.