NEW DELHI: After heavy rains last week, Water and PWD Minister Atishi Marlena, along with Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, reviewed waterlogging preparations. They instructed all departments to create an integrated control room with PWD as the main agency. Previously, civic agencies like PWD, MCD, NDMC, and DDA each had their control rooms and helpline numbers. The ministers have now directed all these agencies to work remotely. According to officials, it provides a live feed for real-time, 24/7 monitoring of waterlogging.
The integrated control room commenced operations on July 7th, managing emergency calls citywide via PWD helplines 011-23490323 and 1800 11 0093. Residents can also report issues and send photos to the WhatsApp chatbot at 8130188222. Government officials are preparing daily waterlogging bulletins for review.
“The current PWD control room now serves as a central hub for all agencies,” a senior PWD official anonymously said. Officials from various agencies are on duty round-the-clock, promptly handling incoming queries and complaints. Live camera feeds monitor waterlogging hotspots, comprising about 40 areas, primarily underpasses, and subways, with approximately 100 cameras deployed.
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To enhance monitoring, the overall nodal officer and PWD supervising officer, in collaboration with executive engineers, ensure 24/7 access to live CCTV feeds from pumping stations, underpasses, and subways. This directive, issued by Shashanka Ala on July 7th, aims for effective management at the Delhi emergency control room.
PWD officials’ daily tasks include GPS mapping of maintenance vehicles and temporary pumps, checking the status of permanent and temporary pumps, and overseeing Quick Response Team (QRT) vehicles. Five special QRT teams operate across different zones to address waterlogging promptly. Nodal officers oversee these activities.
This year, Delhi has 308 critical waterlogging hotspots, with about 210 falling under PWD’s jurisdiction, up from 207 last year, largely due to heavy rainfall causing flooding. Officials attribute an increase of 100 hotspots, including 79 in PWD areas, to last year’s exceptional rainfall.