NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s newly launched Drainage Master Plan, aimed at addressing the city’s waterlogging and sewage issues over the next three decades, faces significant hurdles.
With an estimated budget of Rs 57,000 crore, the plan seeks to overhaul the city’s outdated drainage infrastructure. This comes nearly half a century after the last one was prepared in 1976. However, several entrenched challenges threaten to undermine its success.
The most pressing issue is the age and inadequacy of the city’s existing drainage system. Built over 50 years ago, the current network has struggled to keep pace with rapid urbanisation, population growth and changing rainfall patterns.
Many of the city’s major drains are frequently clogged by illegal sewage connections and accumulated silt, limiting their capacity to manage stormwater effectively. Additionally, a high percentage of stormwater drains have been encroached upon by illegal constructions and settlements, further obstructing water flow during heavy rains. A significant challenge identified by the Drainage Master Plan is the lack of comprehensive drainage across the city’s road networks.
In many areas, stormwater drains either do not exist or are obstructed by buildings and encroachments, making them ineffective. The absence of proper drainage paths in critical areas, coupled with the blocking of natural drainage courses due to urbanization, has led to frequent flooding, especially in low-lying regions. Another critical issue is the mixing of sewage and stormwater in many drains. This practice, which is common in several parts of the city, has serious environmental and health implications.
The combination of untreated sewage with stormwater not only contaminates water bodies but also contributes to waterlogging and public health hazards. The city’s aging infrastructure also lacks the necessary capacity to handle the combined load of both sewage and rainwater, exacerbating the problem. The plan also highlights the piecemeal approach to drainage construction in response to emergency flooding. Many drains were built to address short-term needs during heavy rains, but their irregular sections, inadequate capacity and lack of interconnectivity have created a fragmented and inefficient drainage network.
The absence of a unified, citywide drainage system makes it difficult to implement a coordinated solution. It further acknowledges the issue of inadequate or non-existent side drains in many areas, which results in road damage and water overflow during rains. These gaps in the drainage network, combined with encroached water bodies and obsolete infrastructure, make flood management increasingly difficult.
Another significant challenge is the lack of sewerage systems in some rural and peripheral areas of Delhi. This absence results in the mixing of sewage with stormwater, worsening environmental pollution and posing serious public health risks.
The lack of proper stormwater management also limits the city’s ability to use rainwater for groundwater recharge, a crucial element of sustainable urban planning.