PWD Minister sets 21-day target to clear debris, drains

PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma has gone into full action mode, launching an aggressive 21-day campaign to clean up Delhi’s roads, drains, flyover spaces and eliminate waterlogging across the city.

In a no-nonsense meeting with senior and junior officials at the Secretariat, the minister gave a clear warning that only visible results will be accepted and excuses will no longer be tolerated.

Addressing officers from the level of Engineer-in-Chief to Junior Engineers, Verma said: “The public has lost faith in the PWD. They see us as a department where work gets buried in files. This image must change — not with words, but with action on the ground.”

The minister made it clear that within 21 days, debris must be cleared from roadsides, all clogged drains must be cleaned with proper outfall checks, and areas under flyovers — currently plagued by filth, darkness and anti-social activity — must be reclaimed.

He spoke candidly with officials, saying this is not just another directive but a mission to transform the Capital. “Let us own this city. Let us own this department. If you’re part of the PWD, this is your responsibility — whether or not you like the government doesn’t matter. God has placed you here. Now do your job with sincerity,” he said.

Verma stressed that job satisfaction does not come from clearing paperwork, but from seeing a pothole-free road or a clean, functional drain. “That’s where Delhi’s beauty lies — in the results we deliver, not in the files we process,” he said.

In a strong message on discipline and accountability, the minister said action would not be limited to junior staff. “If a Chief Engineer is negligent, we will suspend him/her. Rank doesn’t matter anymore — results do,” he said.

He also pulled up officials over the sorry state of flyovers, pointing to garbage, encroachments and darkness beneath them. “These are PWD assets and yet they’ve become dumping grounds. This is an insult to the city. Clean them, light them and suggest how we can make better public use of these spaces,” he said.

Verma criticised the culture of internal blame games and delay tactics, saying the department suffers from “complicit coordination” rather than true teamwork. “Contractors know delays help them — and you let it happen. That ends now. Every task will have a timeline, and every delay will have consequences,” he said.

The minister instructed officers to monitor mobile maintenance vans and pothole repair teams daily and ensure that not a single pothole remains unattended. “When I took charge, potholes were the first issue I raised. I want to see action, not memos,” he said.

Delhi