New Delhi, Jul 20 (IANS): Twenty four hours after 56-year-old Kundan Kumar drowned in the Minto Road area of Delhi due to heavy rain in the capital, both the ruling BJP, which controls the MCD and the Aam Aadmi Party which governs Delhi are yet to fix accountability for a road in the capital to be so submerged that it can kill someone.
"We are all aware that Minto bridge area witnesses huge flooding (during the monsoon). It is also well knows that there is a sub-well which is maintained by the PWD. There was neither any pumping machine available there, nor any PWD employee present. The area was so submerged that one person died. When we dug deeper, we realised that the water there is transferred to the Jal Board line, through motor pumps. In the run up to the monsoon season, Delhi Jal Board did not do the needful," alleged Delhi's BJP Chief Adesh Gupta on Monday.
Both the PWD and the Delhi Jal Board come under the Delhi government which is governed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party.
The road in question, which has been flooded in monsoon for decades, is being managed by the PWD.
But Raghav Chaddha, AAP leader and DJB Vice Chairman, calls it "dirty politics", which he prefers to stay away from. However he did not stay away from indulging for long. "Isn't it right that the Minto bridge area comes under the NDMC area which comes under the central government? Has the MCD desilted its drains?" he asked.
However, he reasoned that both the central and state agencies were preoccupied with dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which took precedence, a reason cited by CM Arvind Kejriwal earlier.
"Instead of indulging in politics, let PWD desilt its own drains and MCD its own, from now on, for the sake of the people of Delhi," suggested Chaddha.
The area is notorious for its water-logging that forced the Delhi High Court to come down heavily after two buses were stuck there in 2018 and the passengers had to be rescued. Even on Monday, apart from Kundan, a DTC bus also got stuck.
Like the flood water, the BJP and the AAP's political barbs may eventually subside, but very likely without fixing any accountability. Kundan Kumar will get reduced to a mere statistic and Minto Road, a recurring annual headline.