Kejriwal blames previous govts for ”idiosyncratic drainage system”, says working on revamping it

New Delhi: A day after the city faced extensive waterlogging following record rain, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed the city’s “idiosyncratic drainage system” for the flooded streets, which, he said, the AAP dispensation has inherited as a “gift” from the previous governments.

He assured the public that they will not have to face waterlogging in the coming years in Delhi as his government is working on to overhaul the city’s entire drainage system.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of inauguration of redeveloped Chandni Chowk, Kejriwal said that not only the market area but the drainage system of entire Delhi will be fixed.

“We have said it earlier as well, the drainage system throughout Delhi needs to be fixed. We got this idiosyncratic drainage system as a gift from the previous governments. It needs time (to improve such a vast drainage system), it was never worked upon by them (previous governments) earlier. But I can assure you after some years you won”t see waterlogging anywhere in Delhi,” Kejriwal said in a statement.

Record heavy rains lashed the national capital on Saturday, making it the wettest monsoon season in 46 years and causing massive waterlogging that affected operations at the Delhi airport, disrupted traffic on key roads and left passengers trapped in vehicles in flooded underpasses.

According to the Public Works Department, over 380 waterlogging related complaints were received on Saturday.

Kejriwal had last month chaired a meeting on the city’s drainage plan and said that the national capital’s drainage system will be improved and made “world-class” and Delhi will “get rid of waterlogging”.

He had said that necessary changes as suggested by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi will be made to “bolster” the city’s drainage system and make it foolproof.