New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- After years of knee-deep water and recurring monsoon misery, the Delhi government on Thursday claimed that decisive steps are finally underway to rid Kirari of chronic waterlogging, as Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of "11 years of neglect" and misleading the public through "false narratives".

Addressing a press conference, Verma said misinformation was being deliberately spread on social media to hide administrative failures. "For the past one week, false narratives are being pushed on social media about Kirari. Today, I am placing facts on record. I hope leaders of the Opposition, especially AAP, are watching carefully," he said.

Citing official records, the Minister claimed that only Rs 43 lakh was spent on sewage-related maintenance works in Kirari over the last 11 years, despite the area facing persistent waterlogging for decades. "Kirari colonies existed much before 2000. Governments changed, but no comprehensive sewer network was ever laid. Under the previous Congress and AAP governments, even basic long-term planning was missing," he said.

He pointed out that similar visuals of flooded streets appeared in media reports year after year, indicating that the problem was repeatedly ignored rather than resolved.

Verma said a major sewerage project approved in December 2020, with a completion deadline of December 2024, remained largely stalled under the previous regime. "Projects were sanctioned on paper, but execution was abandoned. Contractors stopped work due to non-payments, and sewage continued to flow into open drains," he alleged. According to official data shared at the briefing, sewer line work has now progressed from 70 per cent to 84 per cent, with 54 km of new sewer lines added, covering areas such as Pratap Vihar, Prem Nagar and Bhagya Vihar. The revised completion target has been set for June 2026, with phased commissioning planned earlier.

The Minister also flagged audit observations that pointed to flawed planning, noting that sewage infrastructure was created without adequate treatment capacity. "This reflects a complete absence of integrated planning. Infrastructure was created without ensuring that sewage had a place to be treated," he said, adding that the area generates about 36 MGD of sewage while only one 15 MGD STP is currently operational.

Outlining the current government's roadmap, Verma said coordinated works are underway across departments, including drain remodelling and new trunk drains worth over Rs.700 crore. Concluding, he asserted, "For 11 years, people were given excuses. The moment this government took charge, work began on the ground. Kirari knows the difference, not slogans, only results."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.