AAP claims not even 5% of drains cleaned by MCD, accuses BJP of corruption

AAP spokesperson Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said that water will fill all colonies in monsoon as the drains are still full of silt, the rainwater will overflow and come on the main roads.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's chief spokesperson Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj stated on Friday (July 9) that the BJP-ruled MCD has committed corruption in the name of desilting of internal drains and not even 5 per cent of the drains in the colonies have been cleaned. 

The North MCD claims to have extracted 9883 MT of silt and the South MCD claims to have extracted 35000 MT of silt, while the fact remains that no silt has been removed. He said that water will fill all colonies in monsoon as the drains are still full of silt, the rainwater will overflow and come on the main roads. 

The South MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti should come out on the roads and show us the colonies from where this 35k MT of silt has been removed. He further said that crores of rupees have been looted in the name of removing silt from drains in connivance with corporation officials and ministers and it has been distributed after payment to contractors.

AAP Chief Spokesperson Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "If we believe the Weather Department of Delhi, very soon the monsoon may strike Delhi. When the monsoon comes in Delhi, you all will be interested in keeping an eye on water logs, that on what roads the water log has occurred. Now, I want to share a piece of information, that all the internal roads and streets be it in a village, an urbanized village, a colony, DDA Flats, or unauthorized colonies- all fall under the ambit of the MCD. And all the drains under these roads too, fall under the ambit of the MCD. I want to present some data in front of you all. According to the North MCD, they have removed about 9,883 MT of silt from different drains in different colonies. And the South MCD says that they have removed 35,705 MT of silt."

He said, "Now, here there are two important issues. Firstly, that this silt was never even taken out. I have two proofs for the same which can be very easily verified from anywhere. The first proof is that you can go and ask in any colony if the residents have seen the MCD’s officials come in and remove silt from their drains. You may even conduct a survey. I can say it with conviction that they’ve not even opened more than 5 percent of the drains in this season, removing silt from them is an altogether different thing. Despite this, the South MCD is claiming that they have removed 35,705 MT of silt and the North MCD claims to have removed 9,883 MT of silt. Further, the second proof will be in front of you as soon as the rain comes. You can see in every colony that water will be logged there because the drains of all colonies are already filled with dirt and silt. They are already filled as of today. So, when the rain will come down, the water will overflow and after overflowing, it will reach the main roads."

He said, "Now coming to the second major issue. To take out 35,705 MT of silt imagine how many crores of payment must have been done to the contractors by the South MCD? I have come to know that it must be approximately 30-40 crores of payment. So, why was this payment made if no work was actually done? So, our question to the South MCD Commissioner is straightforward. I request Shri Gyanesh Bharti to come out on the roads and tell us in what colony or village do we need to come so that we can see from where has this 35k MT of silt been removed?"

AAP leader Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "A loot of crores has been done together by the ministers and the officials. The payment was done to the contractors and later the same payment will be distributed. We can very strongly say that all this money has been robbed. Everyone in their hearts knows that they have not seen any silt removal in the colonies. You must have seen silt removal on main roads which is conducted by PwD that falls under the ambit of the Delhi Government. In the past 2-2.5 months, the PwD has removed silt from manholes and at some places, this silt is still lying there on roadsides. But yes, the task of removing is being done. Whereas in the MCD’s drains this work of removing silt has not been conducted, we will face the issue of waterlogging and still the payment of crores of rupees would be done to the contactors which would be further distributed."