Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Friday that nearly 14 lakh tons of silt have been removed from 77 drains and about half of the desilting work has been completed ahead of the monsoon.

His remarks came a day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed all civic and infrastructure agencies to complete drain desilting by June 30 and improve coordination to replicate the Minto Road model to prevent flooding in the Capital.

“The work is progressing at a fast pace with visible on-ground deployment of machinery and manpower,” Mr. Singh said. He said the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) has set a target of 28 lakh metric tonnes, and work is being carried out continuously to meet this goal by June 30.

During a visit to two critical IFCD drains at Delhi Gate and Barapulla to assess progress, Mr. Singh said around 21,000 tons of silt have been removed from the Delhi Gate drain so far. “For decades, the covered structure severely restricted proper desilting, contributing to repeated waterlogging in nearby areas. For the first time in 40 years, slabs are being dismantled to allow full access to the drain, enabling deep cleaning and restoration of its carrying capacity,” he said.

At the Barapulla drain, desilting is nearing 78% completion, and over 31,000 metric tonnes have already been cleared. “With both these drains being strengthened, areas such as Daryaganj, Jama Masjid, Feroz Shah Road, ITO, South Extension and Okhla are expected to see relief from waterlogging this monsoon,” the Minister added.

MCD targets

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which oversees nearly 13,000 drains of less than four feet in depth and 793 major drains, has set a target of removing 1.41 lakh tons of silt from large drains by June 30 as part of its annual pre-monsoon exercise.

According to an MCD official, about 16% of the desilting work in drains wider than four feet, covering a total length of 545 km, has been completed so far. For smaller drains, with a combined length of approximately 6,000 km, desilting is a year-round activity, the official said. The civic body has an annual target of around 2.33 lakh metric tonnes, covering both major and minor drains.

The removed silt has to be cleared within a week and transported to designated dumping sites, including Bhalswa, Singhola, Okhla and Ghazipur, the official added.