New Delhi, Nov 18 (Mayank Nigam) Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Tuesday that Revenue and Irrigation and Flood Control Departments have been directed to carry out a joint inspection in rain-affected villages of Delhi to understand the reasons for waterlogging. Gahlot visited the rain-affected Mundhela and Malikpur villages of the Najafgarh constituency today where he was informed by the local farmers that they have not been able to sow crops due to the waterlogging in their fields, officials said. “The minister listened to their grievances and assured the farmers to take proper action,” they said.
The officials also said that it was observed that the height of the Bandh alongside drain near village Mundela Kala is very low which leads the water to overflow and enter nearby fields during monsoon. “The Revenue Minister directed the officers of Flood Department and the SDM of Najafgadh to carry out a joint survey for ascertaining the length of the Bandh over which the height of the protecting walls needs to be raised for preventing the overflowing of the drain. He also instructed the officers to complete the survey of the area in a time-bound manner,” a senior official said. “In Malikpur, the water in village pond overflows and submerge the nearby fields. The officers of the Flood Department and the SDM of Najafgadh have been directed to explore the possibility of raising a protection wall around this pond. To provide immediate relief from waterlogging, pumps have been installed in village Malikpur and Mundela Kala/Khurd for dewatering the fields.
The Minister has also ordered the revenue department to prepare an estimate so that a proper Bandh can be planned and constructed at the earliest to avoid any future risk of flooding,” he added. Meanwhile, Gahlot said that heavy rains this monsoon have severely affected Outer Delhi’s agricultural belt. “The Revenue Department is surveying different villages involving all levels of revenue staff.
About 70 to 80 per cent of our survey has been completed, today I have come to see it myself. “Still, these fields are full of water and crops have also suffered heavy damage. It has also been seen in many places that farmers are not able to sow the crop due to waterlogging where the crop was to be sown. We are also including this in the survey, I sincerely hope that our survey will be completed within the next 7 to 10 days. Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal has ordered that wherever there is damage to crops, all farmers will be given proper compensation,” he announced.