Taking note of the virtually clogged drains in the national capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to furnish the details and time needed to desilt the entire city.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, while dealing with pleas of several Delhi residents, including lawyers, over the flooding of roads, homes and offices after rains due to clogged storm water and sewage drains, remarked that the national capital needed a new master plan to address such civic issues.

"These are virtually clogged drains. They can't be desilted (overnight). Some have not been desilted in 40-50 years," the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, said.

"They have to rebuild the whole thing, develop a new master plan. We are totalling 3.3 crore (population)," added the bench.

The lawyers appearing for the aggrieved citizens alleged that drains in their area were not desilted before the onset of the monsoon season, and when the exercise was undertaken by the authorities in some areas, the sludge was left on the road, only to be carried back into the drain after fresh rainfall.

Some lawyers claimed their offices in Defence Colony were flooded to the extent that their printers and computers got damaged.

The court also heard the issue of flooding in Kotla Mubarakpur and Garhi village.

The court said "whatever is best, will be done" by the authorities as it added relevant machinery to drain out water would be provided by them.

The Delhi Chief Secretary, who was present during the hearing virtually, said the work for desilting the drain in Defence Colony, which is majorly covered, would be undertaken.

He said the exercise of desilting other open drains was already done by most departments.

The court said it would direct desilting of the drains and asked the chief secretary to provide a timeline and other details for the exercise.

"Give us an affidavit mentioning how you want to desilt the entire city, how much time you want, area-wise," the court stated.

During the hearing, the court also raised concern about the carrying capacity of the national capital and said issues are further escalated due to unauthorised construction, including on the Yamuna flood plain.

Carrying capacity is the maximum population that an area can sustain.

The court asserted that Yamuna should be allowed to flow freely.

"You should allow Yamuna to flow. Don't set up a banquet hall (on the flood plain). It has to go through. Nature no one can control. Nature will come back to you," the court observed.

The matter would be heard next after three weeks.

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