Govt projects leading to ‘unnatural flooding’ in Delhi, says TMC’s Jawhar Sircar

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar on Wednesday blamed the Centre for “unnatural” flooding in the national capital, caused by heavy rainfall since Wednesday till early Thursday morning, with multiple weather stations recording over 100 mm of rainfall. Severe water logging and massive traffic congestion were witnessed in several areas of the national capital.
Speaking as part of the House discussions on the housing and urban development ministry, Sircar said, “This has happened due to their (Centre) intervention,” as he blamed the construction projects, under the Central Vista scheme taken up by the ministry of housing and urban affairs. 
The Central Vista scheme, including the new Parliament building, is a prestige project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to create a legacy free from colonial influence. 
Sircar said one such example is the Pragati Maidan tunnel, which made headlines multiple times for getting dangerously flooded since its opening in recent years. The tunnel was shut for days last year’s monsoon. 
“We need to go for hydrographic studies before we enforce our will through before we put our egotistical schemes through. The flooding of the Pragati Maidan tunnel will continue,” he said. Sircar mentioned that in all, Delhi has 308 waterlogging hotspots. 
Further, he slammed the Centre’s revamp of the erstwhile Rajpath to Kartavya Path as part of the scheme. “Rs.670 crore spent on Rajpath for a few bulbs and lights, and all you get is perennial flooding because you have tampered with the water system,” he said.
Reiterating that while the entire project has to tackle the hydrological programme, Sircar also mentioned that the two member gates of the new Parliament building do not have any protection from rain or heat, while three gates for VIPs have porticos. 
“We have to redesign this as even their members are also exposed to the heat, rain, and the sun. The galleries of the current Parliament building have to be better utilised,” said the TMC Rajya Sabha MP.
Also Read: 4 dead in separate incidents as heavy rainfall lashes Delhi-NCR: Police
Sircar further criticised the flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) and Smart Cities Mission over its slow implementation and complexities owing to the top-down approach.
“Most houses are in peripheral areas of the town, so before we impose a top-down scheme on the poor,” he said.
Slamming the ministry’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme, he cited that till date, 31% of the urban population do not have piped water and 67% of the urban population have no access to sewage facilities. 
The TMC leader said that he is not holding the present minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, responsible, who recently took charge of the ministry in the third Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government.