Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday inspected the ongoing cleaning work at the Munak canal and the restoration of the historical Shalimar Bagh.
Accompanied by officials from the Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA), as well as those from the Haryana Government and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal, Gupta and Saxena also inspected the Najafgarh Drain near Inderlok Metro Station; Singhalpur Village, Labour Chowk; CA Slum, Gol Chakkar; AU Slum Road (near VIPS College), and Haiderpur Treatment Plant.
After the inspection, the Chief Minister instructed officials for road construction on both sides of the Munak Canal and asked them to prepare a comprehensive action plan for water conservation and purification. The primary objective of this inspection was to review the key infrastructure, drainage management, road construction, drain cleaning, and water management works in the capital.
“There is a need to manage the entire water supply and availability system in the national capital. We inspected the Munak canal, which starts from Haryana and ends near the Inderlok Metro station. A holistic approach is needed to improve the current water supply infrastructure, including repair of the WTPs,” CM Gupta said.
Delhi Government is working to fully utilise the entire raw water supply from Haryana so that the problems related to water availability are reduced, she added.
“We inspected the Munak canal; we are planning to construct a road parallel to the canal as the city faces a problem of traffic congestion,” Saxena said.
During the inspection of Sheesh Mahal Park in Shalimar Bagh, the Lieutenant Governor acknowledges that this site is important not only historically but also culturally for Delhi. When he visited the location last year, it was in a neglected condition. Given its heritage value, restoration work was started, jointly led by the DDA and ASI.
The Lieutenant Governor stated that the restoration will be completed in the next one to two months and will be opened for the public. He also mentioned that during today’s inspection, problems related to the water system were thoroughly reviewed. Efforts are being made to clean canals, prevent water leakage, and enhance the capacity of STPs.
“We are trying to restore Shalimar Bagh to its old glory and in the next one or two months, the ongoing work will be completed,” LG Vinai Kumar Saxena Saxena said.
At Shalimar Bagh, Gupta discussed with municipal officials the problems of lighting and encroachment around the park, where the Archeological Survey of India and the DDA are both working on the project.
The CM emphasised that the purpose of the inspection was not just to set deadlines but to ensure that visible and tangible progress is made on the ground. Currently, Delhi’s water supply and sewage systems are fragmented. There is a need to thoroughly assess the sources of water, its distribution mechanisms, and the capacities of STPs and WTPs. The entire system requires a planned restructuring. The Government and all concerned departments are working together with this integrated vision to establish a strong and replicable model of water management in Delhi.
The Chief Minister also directed concerned departments to ensure the timely and quality completion of drain-cleaning and redevelopment works of critical channels like the Najafgarh Drain. Instructions were given for swift improvements in traffic management, road repair, and beautification, particularly around the Prembari Bridge and major junctions.
