New Delhi, April 10 The Delhi government has removed approximately 14 lakh metric tonnes of silt from drains by March, Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Friday.
The minister was inspecting pre-monsoon drain desilting work near the Barapullah drain, being carried out by the irrigation and flood control department.
"From the beginning, our government has been focused on ensuring that drain desilting work is being carried out effectively. We plan to increase our target for silt removal this year," Singh said.
"Last year, we removed approximately 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt from all the drains. This year, we aim to remove 28 lakh metric tonnes of silt," he said.
Singh claimed that 50 per cent of the target set for this year has been achieved, and the remaining silt will be removed in the coming few days.
A day earlier, while reviewing monsoon preparedness, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had directed all departments to complete desilting by June 30 and ensure that the removed silt is transported to designated sites.