Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday directed officials to identify and remove dangerous trees on priority to prevent loss of life during storms and heavy rainfall, as the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) reviewed the Capital’s monsoon preparedness.
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During the meeting, chaired by lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Gupta, officials reviewed the city’s preparedness for monsoon, progress on the Urban Flood Mitigation Plan and establishment of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), as per an official statement.
Underlining the need for preventive action, the CM instructed departments to proactively identify hazardous trees and remove them before they pose a risk to public safety.
Further, Gupta directed officials to ensure that no drain, sewer line or manhole remains uncovered and that potholes and ditches are repaired immediately, stressing a zero-tolerance approach towards accidents arising from such lapses.
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Officials said Sandhu directed them to make the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) operational at the earliest and increase its strength.
Future Forecast
Amid prevailing and evolving El Niño conditions that could lead to erratic monsoon rainfall, Sandhu said weather forecasts indicated spells of intense rainfall and directed all departments to take every possible measure to ensure minimal or no waterlogging across the city.
Sandhu said that even though flooding remains a legacy issue, but all short-term measures must be implemented effectively even as long-term solutions, including the Drainage Master Plan, are pursued. He also warned that accountability for any lapses would be fixed.
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According to officials, number of waterlogging-prone locations has fallen sharply over the past three years — from 194 in 2024 to 169 in 2025 and 34 so far in 2026. The number of sites that remained persistently vulnerable also dropped from 53 between 2024 and 2025 to eight between 2025 and 2026.
The meeting was informed that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had completed their desilting targets. The Public Works Department (PWD) has completed nearly 95 per cent of desilting work but has been unable to finish the remaining work due to encroachments on drains under its jurisdiction.
Officials also said the Delhi Jal Board has desilted 85.5 per cent of its trunk sewer lines, 91.1 per cent of peripheral sewer lines and 90.16 per cent of branch sewer lines.
Sandhu and Gupta also directed agencies to ensure that jurisdictional issues do not delay the resolution of flooding or accident-related complaints.
He asked officials to monitor public feedback and waterlogging complaints in real time and keep mobile heavy-duty pumps operational and ready for deployment during emergencies. He also called for close coordination among all departments and neighbouring states to ensure a unified response to any flood-related situation.
