Union Environment Minister blames Delhi waterlogging on plastic waste, criticizes local government inaction

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attributed the waterlogging in Delhi following torrential rains on Friday morning to drains being clogged with plastic waste and criticised the Delhi government for its inaction despite multiple reminders.

The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday, more than three times the June rainfall average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month in at least 16 years.

The season's first heavy spell of rain brought back familiar scenes of waterlogged roads, underpasses, vehicles stuck in water, and long traffic snarls, with many residents expressing frustration over the city's drainage infrastructure.

"We banned single-use plastic and also asked the Delhi government to take action. We have asked the Delhi government's industries department several times to close down these (single-use plastic manufacturing) units," Yadav said at the India Climate Summit organised by Times Network.

He said these units have not only contributed to environmental hazards but also experienced industrial disasters, and yet the "Delhi government has remained inactive".

"The primary reason for waterlogging is the clogging of drains due to polythene. We need to bring changes in personal behaviour, and this should also be part of local governance," he said.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the weather station at Lodhi Road logged 192.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, Ridge 150.4 mm, Palam 106.6 mm, Delhi University 139 mm, Pitampura 138 mm, Pusa 89 mm, Mayur Vihar 75 mm, and Tughlakabad 70.5 mm.