NDMC Suspends Engineer Over Waterlogging Failures

The New Delhi Municipal Council has suspended an executive engineer with immediate effect. The action follows severe rain-induced waterlogging in the Lutyens' Delhi area last month.

According to a September 1 order signed by council chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, the engineer failed to discharge his duties with required diligence. The order cites specific failures at key locations during the heavy rains of late August.

Pumps Found Non-Functional

An inspection revealed critical equipment failures. Pumps were found to be non-functional at Tibetan Market on Janpath and near Kake Ka Dhaba in Connaught Place. A subsequent surprise check on August 5 found more problems.

The NDMC secretary and chief engineer conducted that inspection. Despite prior directions, the pump operator was absent from the site near Kake Da Dhaba. The operator present at Janpath was not well-versed in running the pump, the order states.

Apology for Inadequate Response

The suspension comes days after major flooding on August 26. Stretches in NDMC areas like Mandir Marg, Connaught Place Outer Circle, and Sansad Marg were submerged. Chairperson Dwivedi publicly apologized for the council's insufficient response.

Dwivedi acknowledged the challenge but accepted no excuses. "There was more than 72 mm rainfall in less than two hours and this was quite unexpected, but this cannot be an excuse, and we will have to strengthen our systems to deal with such situations in future," he posted on X.

He noted that waterlogging is typically cleared within 15 to 20 minutes. On August 26, however, it took over an hour to drain the water at three to four locations despite their efforts.

Official Warning Against Negligence

The incident prompted a high-level meeting. Public Works Department minister and NDMC ex-officio member Parvesh Saheb Singh met with council officials. He warned them against any negligence in their duties.

Singh issued strict directions following the meeting. He stated that action would be taken against concerned personnel if waterlogging recurs. His warning was also communicated via a post on the social media platform X.

The suspension order, seen by Hindustan Times, formalizes this push for accountability. It directly links the engineer's suspension to the observed failures in maintaining and operating drainage pumps during the rain emergency.