NEW DELHI: Delhi Traffic Police has identified 442 stretches in the city that are prone to chronic waterlogging during monsoon, and advised public to avoid these areas. Of the 442 stretches identified, 243 are under the Municipal Corporations, 172 with the PWD and 27 with other agencies. The stretches identified include Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mathura road, slip road from Lajpat Nagar towards Faridabad, Vikas Marg and the Malviya Nagar-Panchsheel Marg stretch. 

"We have written to the civic agencies asking them to make proper arrangements to curb waterlogging so that traffic is not affected. It is advisable for commuters to avoid these roads," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic). 

However, residents of South Delhi may have more trouble in store for them as the silt removed from the drains there has found no takers. While the Okhla waste-to-energy plant has refused to process the sludge due to presence of concrete blocks in it, the Ghazipur landfill site is saturated and has no space to accommodate the silt, said officials. 

"The officials at the Okhla plant say the silt needs to be segregated before it is processed. Since construction waste from the colonies also goes into the same drains, the silt mainly comprises of concrete blocks. They need to be removed from the sludge before it is processed. The Ghazipur landfill site is saturated and they rejected the truck loads of silt that we had sent," said Rajesh Gehlot, chairman, standing committee, South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Gehlot said they are looking for ways to dispose of the silt. 

The three Corporations claim that almost 70% of the desilting work is over. However, officials admit that due to shortage of adequate machinery and workforce, this time too Delhi may face a major waterlogging problem. "After the split, the machinery and workforce too were divided among the corporations. We have only two super sucker machines and 13 pumps to pump out water. All 60ft wide roads have been taken over by PWD. Even if we clean our drains but the main drain continues to be choked, all our efforts will go waste. Even the roads desperately need repair, but it may be difficult as monsoon is just a few weeks away," said a South corporation official.