NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is fast-tracking four major drainage projects to strengthen the city’s storm-water system and provide lasting relief from waterlogging, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.
The projects—Mundka Halt–Supplementary Drain, MB Road Storm Water Drain, Kirari–Rithala Trunk Drain and the storm water drain along Rohtak Road (NH-10)—form key components of Delhi’s ‘Drainage Master Plan’, under which the government has accelerated construction and expansion of major trunk drains.
Gupta said Delhi’s drainage and sewerage master plan was originally prepared in the 1970s but was not revised despite rapid population growth and large-scale construction. She said the present government has now introduced changes keeping in view Delhi’s geography, recurring waterlogging and rising population pressure.
“To address drainage issues in Kirari, Mundka, Bawana and Nangloi, a 4.5-km trunk drain is being built parallel to the railway line at a cost of Rs 220.93 crore. It will serve a catchment area of 1,520 acres and have a discharge capacity of 760 cusecs,” officials said. The project, being executed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, will connect with the Supplementary Drain and integrate several secondary drains. An MoU has been signed with the Railways and the project is expected to be completed in 15 months.
To address persistent waterlogging from Lado Sarai T-Point to Pul Prahladpur, the MB Road Storm Water Drain project is being implemented. Covering 22.76 km of drains on both sides of the road, the `387.84-crore project will be executed by the PWD and completed in 2.5 years. It also includes tree transplantation, footpath construction and shifting of utilities.
“The 7.2-km Kirari–Rithala trunk drain project by the DDA, costing `250.21 crore, will have a discharge capacity of 1,160 cusecs. About 600 metres have already been completed, with the remaining work resuming after tree-felling permissions were granted,” officials said.
Improvement of drains along Rohtak Road (NH-10) is also underway at a cost of `184 crore, with `105 crore provided by the Centre under the SASCI scheme. The project is scheduled for completion by March 2026. Gupta said the master plan aims to improve rainwater discharge into the Yamuna, reduce pressure on sewers and permanently address waterlogging, making Delhi’s drainage infrastructure future-ready.