First, the sweltering heat of summer claimed more than 200 lives. Then, a series of fires resulted in further tragic deaths, including the horrific burning of seven newborn babies. Now, the Monsoon Mayhem has brought the city to its knees, with a multitude of problems served on a ‘death platter.’
The city is failing its residents at every juncture, with people suffering while politicians engage in their usual blame games. Apathy continues to prevail.
Barely weeks ago, Water Minister Atishi went on a hunger strike, protesting against the Haryana government for allegedly restricting the flow of Yamuna water into the national capital during the heatwave. Now, as water pours from the skies, the city’s infrastructure has crumbled, unable to cope.
Just a day ago, three civil services aspirants drowned while studying in an illegally run library under a coaching institute in central Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar area - a hub for UPSC aspirants. This was not an isolated incident; several deaths due to waterlogging have been reported recently.
As if drowning was not enough, overhanging electricity wires that drop into pools of waterlogged roads are adding to the woes. Over the past year, electrocution has claimed around 26 lives, including children.
On June 28, when Delhi received over 200 mm of rainfall, a 39-year-old man was electrocuted in Rohini’s Prem Nagar after he came into contact with a live wire on a waterlogged road. This month, on July 13, a 34-year-old woman was electrocuted on a waterlogged road in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura area.
While the political blame game continues, even the courts have intervened and issued directions to overcome such irregularities-induced deaths, yet nothing seems to change on the ground.
Why are streets submerging?
As incidents of deaths due to waterlogging have increased in the national capital over the past month, much blame has been assigned to the failure of the city’s multiple civic bodies to desilt and repair the drainage system.
After the deluge on June 28 left much of the city inundated, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Public Works Department (PWD) announced a slew of measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
However, despite these measures, Delhiites continue to live with the fear that a single hour of heavy rainfall can bring their life to a standstill.
Officials and experts agree that even an optimally maintained drainage system cannot completely prevent waterlogging in the city.
The primary issue is Delhi’s antiquated drainage system. Designed to handle only 50 mm of rainfall, the current infrastructure is quickly overwhelmed by any heavier downpour. The ‘Drainage Master Plan,’ which could address these deficiencies, has been pending approval for decades.
According to a PWD official, the existing drainage master plan dates back to 1976, designed for the city’s population and rainfall expectations at that time. It was built to manage 50 mm of rain within 24 hours.
Outdated drainage infrastructure needs upgrade
A downpour of 228 mm in late June submerged Delhi, resulting in 11 fatalities. Despite managing 2,064.08 km of drains, or 55% of the city’s drainage network, the PWD fails to alleviate the annual monsoon waterlogging crisis.
Court orders have designated the PWD as the nodal agency for creating a new drainage plan, but only one consultant has been appointed to draft it. This consultant is responsible for designing a plan that considers Delhi’s increased population and updated drainage needs.
Moreover, the government continues to apply temporary solutions like silt removal and water pumps, rather than learning from past flooding events.
International standards require separate systems for sewage and stormwater to prevent overflow. However, in Delhi, these systems are often combined, worsening the problem.
A 2018 IIT report recommended separating seasonal stormwater from year-round sewage flow. Although the report was rejected in 2021 due to data flaws, the need for separate layouts remains critical. Delhi has 201 natural drains across three basins: Najafgarh, Barapula, and Trans Yamuna.
Additionally, the 2016 IIT report identified slope issues in some areas, complicating efficient drainage.
As things stand, Delhi’s drainage infrastructure remains outdated and insufficient. A comprehensive, updated drainage master plan, along with the implementation of separate systems for sewage and stormwater, is essential to effectively tackle the city’s waterlogging challenges.
When Courts intervene
Despite the Delhi High Court’s directives to tackle the persistent waterlogging issue in the national capital, the on-ground reality remains grim.
On July 25, the court observed the severe state of the city’s drainage system, noting the virtually clogged drains.
The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, demanded that Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar provide detailed plans and timelines for desilting the entire city.
The court’s remarks came in response to multiple pleas from Delhi residents, including lawyers, who highlighted the flooding of roads, homes, and offices caused by clogged stormwater and sewage drains.
The bench emphasised the need for a comprehensive new master plan to address the city’s civic infrastructure issues.
“These drains are virtually clogged. They can’t be desilted overnight. Some have not been desilted in 40-50 years. The whole system needs rebuilding, and a new master plan is required,” the bench stated.
The court has now ordered an affidavit detailing the desilting strategy, including area-wise timelines, to be submitted by the city administration.
Web of wires endangering lives
When discussing the leakage of electricity current, overhead electric wires in most parts of the national capital come to mind. In 2002, the Delhi government led by Sheila Dikshit privatised the city’s power distribution business, aiming to transform power infrastructure and eliminate overhanging wires.
Despite over two decades of private discoms supplying electricity, minimising the overhead wire issues in the capital remains a distant dream. Many areas, whether considered posh or not, still have wires hanging from one pole to another instead of an underground network, with Old Delhi being the worst affected.
The debate over the wire crisis has resurfaced following the electrocution of a UPSC aspirant in Rajinder Nagar last week and the drowning of three students in the basement of an IAS coaching centre in the same locality.
According to rough estimates, putting the entire high-tension overhead power network in the city underground will cost nearly Rs 2,500 crore or more. This cost is almost three times that of insulating it. Meanwhile, the majority of high-tension wires in the city are already underground or insulated.
In 2014, a Delhi Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved a policy to convert bare electric wires into insulated conductors to protect life and property. The cabinet considered shifting all overhead electric wires underground, and the city government allocated several crores for this mammoth task in its yearly budget, yet overhead wires remain a common issue.
“Delhi is a very old city and much of it is unplanned. A large part of the critical wire network is either insulated or underground. Since there are unauthorised, semi-rural, and rural parts, it requires a collective effort to shift wires underground or upgrade the entire electricity transmission network. The discoms and government agencies do their part on various occasions, but challenges remain due to the city’s expansion,” said a senior power department official who wished to remain anonymous.
“In the recent incidents of electrocution, it is unclear where the current leakage occurred. It might be from transformers, boxes on electric poles, or households. Enquiries are likely being conducted. Additionally, agencies should check the hanging of cable and internet wires along electric wires/poles. Incidents of electrocution haven’t occurred in Old Delhi, where there are no exposed wires. A system should be in place to avoid any untoward incidents,” the official added.
The mesh of overhead wires not only endangers lives through electrocution but also causes fires, often starting from short circuits and ending with entire buildings or nearby houses being gutted.
Regular fires a cause for concern
Nearly 10 km from Rajinder Nagar is another coaching hub that witnessed a massive fire at one of the coaching institutes last year. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but it served as a wake-up call for authorities.
Such incidents at coaching centres have raised concerns over illegal and unauthorised buildings running commercial businesses in the national capital while flouting all safety norms.
As one walks through the narrow lanes of the area, hordes of billboards and banners of coaching institutes guaranteeing success can be seen on every building.
But are these buildings safe and equipped to handle or prevent any calamity? The question remains unanswered. The seriousness of the situation is evident, as every building houses hundreds of students at a time, and any emergency requires constant preparedness.
The buildings across the city operating without fire safety standards is yet another problem.
A Fire NOC certifies that a building complies with fire prevention and fire safety requirements according to Rule 33 of the Delhi Fire Service Rules. Many commercial buildings in Delhi operate without the ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the fire department.
Each year, the Delhi Fire Service issues a Fire NOC to around 50-70 buildings, but several still go unnoticed.
It’s important to note that the fire department does not directly interact with the public to provide an NOC, as it is not a licensing authority. Senior DFS officials state that it is the responsibility of the building authority or civic agency to refer cases before granting a licence to a building or factory.
June 28
When Delhi received over 200 mm of rainfall, a 39-year-old man was electrocuted in Rohini’s Prem Nagar after coming into contact with a live wire on a waterlogged road. This month, on July 13, a 34-year-old woman was electrocuted on a waterlogged road in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura area.
228 mm
A downpour of 228 mm in a single day in June, brought the capital to its knees and led to death of 11 people. Despite managing 2,064.08 km of drains, or 55% of the city’s drainage network, the Public Works Department fails to alleviate the annual monsoon waterlogging and related crises.
July 25
July 25, the Delhi High Court observed the severe state of the city’s drainage system, noting the virtually clogged drains. The court’s remarks came in response to multiple pleas from Delhi residents, including lawyers, who highlighted the flooding of roads, homes, and offices caused by clogged stormwater and sewage drains.
Rule 33
Delhi Fire Service Rules certifies that a building complies with fire prevention and fire safety requirements. Many commercial buildings in Delhi operate without the ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the fire department. An official said there are around 50-70 buildings, but several buildings still go unnoticed.