MCD sets aside 13.76 crore to desilt drains across Capital

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday announced that it had allocated a budget of 13.76 crore for desilting drains in the city and that it would carry out the process twice a year. Drains will now be desilted in January and June each year, and the public will be asked for feedback on whether they were cleaned effectively or not. So far, drains were desilted only in the pre-monsoon period.

“After the first phase of cleaning drains by June 20, the corporation will ask citizens and stakeholders to give their feedback or register their complaints and photographs through MCD’s toll-free number or on the MCD311 App. Upon receipt of such a complaint, the contractor will be given 15 days to desilt or clean the said drains. Only after citizens are satisfied, will the contractor be paid,” said an MCD spokesperson on Thursday.

The 13.76 crore budget encompasses all 12 zones under the MCD, with the desilting to commence from June 5 in the first phase, and from January 15 in the second phase. Payments for desilting have also been linked to the completion of work in the two phases, officials said.
“MCD will pay the contractor in instalments, with 60% of the dues being paid after the first phase and the remaining 40% after desilting is complete in the second phase,” said the spokesperson.

“MCD will also rate contractors in accordance with citizens’ feedback. A contractor receiving more complaints will be rated poorly by the corporation and may be barred from future tenders,” the spokesperson added.

Officials said MCD had also decided to rope in school children in this initiative, as part of which, students of Class 9 or higher could volunteer to inspect the quality of work.