Vehicles wade through water after heavy rain in Delhi.
Vehicles wade through water after heavy rain in Delhi.(Photo | Express)

Rush before the rain

Pre-monsoon showers proved a litmus test, exposing persistent gaps in capital drainage. Next few weeks will determine if the promises turn to reality or collapse into calamity, Prabhat Shukla reports
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Now that the weather office has alerted city residents that the southwest monsoon is likely to reach the capital by June 24, approximately a week earlier than the traditional June 30 onset, the imminent respite from sweltering heat may bring a sigh of relief. Notably, Delhi’s June rainfall has already surpassed its monthly quota — 87.8 mm, 18% above the average 74.1 mm. Temperatures have moderated, humidity has jolted the heat index to 46°C, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alerts for thunderstorms and gusty winds of 50 km/h through June 22. While these developments are meteorologically reassuring, the met office projects a normal monsoon (92-108% of the long-period average for northwest India), they have served more as a reality check than comfort.

For policymakers and the public alike, the memory of monsoons last year remains stark. In 2024, rains arrived in the capital with a bang — clocking the highest rainfall in the last 88 years — bringing much of the city to a standstill. Rains brought down a roof in the Terminal 1 building of Delhi airport, flooding railway stations, underpasses, and submerging arterial roads in central and south Delhi.

This year, pre monsoon showers in mid June were enough to bring the capital to its knees. Just 30 minutes of heavy rain on June 17 led to waterlogging in Mahipalpur, Vasant Village, and near T 1 of the airport, paralysing vehicular movement and causing much discontent to commuters. The public vented on social media: “The monsoon hasn’t even started, and this is the condition. When the real rains come, only God can save Delhi,” a frustrated commuter grumbled online.

While climate experts point to a stronger-than-usual low over the Bay of Bengal, causing greater pre-monsoon moisture, civic auditors and citizens are already asking the hard questions: is the city infrastructure really ready?

(Photo | Express)

Desilting dilemma

Delhi’s rainwater drainage is an elaborate tapestry, woven with major arterial drains managed by the Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC), peripheral drains maintained by the PWD, and smaller drains overseen by municipal bodies such as the MCD and NDMC. To prevent repetition of past failures, the government launched a sweeping cleanup campaign between April and June.

I&FC, in charge of 77 major drains, claims a commendable 90-100% desilting completion by early June, removing over 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt from its barrages and nullahs. The Flood Control Order, 2025, finalised on June 12 and backed by an apex committee under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, emphasises protocols for drains, embankments, and pumping stations.

The department has also established a 24×7 control room at Shastri Nagar. “The Irrigation & Flood Control Control Room continuously monitors all the 77 major drains across Delhi and keeps track of Yamuna water levels around the clock. It analyses rainfall drainage flow, the volume of water released upstream, and the downstream consequences,” PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said. He further said the control room will remain operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the monsoon period. It will serve as the central hub for real-time coordination and emergency decision-making.

By contrast, PWD’s efforts have lagged significantly. Of the roughly 2,140-km drains under its management, only about 60% (1,294 km) had been desilted by June 17, missing the revised June 15 deadline, and even the delayed June 30 target. Inside PWD, the performance varies starkly; SWR 2 (South West Region 2) is at a full 100%, while West Road 2 limps behind at just 31%. 335 PWD drains correspond to 445 identified waterlogging points for 2025, of which 71 require coordination with other agencies.This patchy progress sharply contrasts with the I&FC’s momentum, suggesting a systemic imbalance. Inefficiency in contract planning, tender delays tied to the earlier election cycle, and fragmented workflows continue to hobble the PWD cleanup drive. The city has now extended its completion timeline to June 30, but doubts persist whether it is realistic, especially with the monsoon clouds creeping in overhead.

Moreover, even completed drains harbour vulnerabilities. Over 2,300 mixing points remain where sewage infiltrates stormwater drains, 465 identified in PWD networks and 1,169 under I&FC. Only 207 of these mixing points under the I&FC and none under the PWD have been addressed by June 3. This defies the very logic of urban sanitisation; if contaminating sewage remains active, clearing silt is only a half measure. Silt is often dumped roadside rather than transported from the cleaning site, blockages linger in critical nullahs (Najafgarh only partly cleared), and lack of mechanisation has exposed workers to high risks.

(Photo | Express)

‘Water holes’

Even before the onset of the July rain fury, pre monsoon showers have brought the capital’s chronic waterlogging hotspots into sharp focus. Traffic police and civic records have listed around 410 such points citywide, including 335 falling within PWD remit, and 71 critical sites requiring inter-agency intervention coordinated by District Magistrates.

Locations like Punjabi Bagh, Peeragarhi, ITO, Minto Road, Mahipalpur bypass, Shahdara Link, Delhi Cantonment underpass, Connaught Place, Shivaji Metro Station, and stretches along the Ring Road and Modi Mill flyover have all been flagged for persistent inundation. In many instances, vehicles and people are forced to wade in ankle-deep floodwater, a grim irony of capital drainage.

The PWD acknowledges 335 flood-prone nodes, but also adds that 71 of these cannot be resolved in isolation; they need joint action with the I&FC, MCD, NDMC, Jal Board, and metro authorities. The PWD Minister, and even CM Rekha Gupta have directed District Magistrates to convene weekly inter-departmental reviews and fix responsive timelines for each such site.

In Bharti Nagar and Golf Links, NDMC has spearheaded a series of technical innovations: three 30,000-litre sump wells, a 5,00,000 litre well at Purana Qila, and a 40,000 litre well in Bharti Nagar will be operational by June 30, supplementing drain networks with deep-water reservoirs to handle sudden influxes.

“Alongside, robotic desilting machines have cleared the Sunheri Nullah, and a Rs 70-crore project, driven by the Delhi Metro, will address the covered stretch near Dayal Singh College. These facilities are among initiatives to ensure no waterlogging occurs in low-lying areas. Preparations are underway to avoid waterlogging in areas surrounding Purana Qila,” NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Chahal said.

But these measures remain localised pilots, not systemic solutions. Most sites, especially in Mehrauli, Okhla, Shahdara, Vikaspuri–Mukarba (Ring Road), lack equivalent interventions. Trust remains fragile.

In the interim, PWD is deploying three-shift pump operations at high-risk points, though public experience suggests pumps often fail within hours of operation due to silt clogging or power outages. It remains unclear whether these are proactive deterrents or reactionary afterthoughts.

On June 18, the Chief Minister said, “When it rains, it pours; and the drains are often unable to handle the sudden flow of water. Rain is a natural occurrence, it is not as if there is a ‘tawa’ (hot pan) beneath to make the water evaporate instantly.” She said if the rainwater recedes within 30 minutes or an hour, it is considered ‘normal’. But if it doesn’t, it indicates a problem in the locality.

But this statement is only cold comfort to those living next to open drains, whom the floods come calling almost as soon as it rains.

(Photo | Express)

Flood Gates

The resurgence of Yamuna floods in July 2023, with the river water flowing at a 45 year high, exposed a disaster in the name of ‘operational unpreparedness’ — whether in barrage gate controls, embankments, or coordination protocols. The government, however, appears resolved to never let it happen again.

A Flood Control Order issued on June 12 clearly defined departmental responsibilities in flood management: I&FC for major drains and embankments, PWD for connecting drains, NDMC/MCD for localised infrastructure, Delhi Jal Board for sewage and water supply, and PWD/DJB for pumping stations. It mandates nodal officers, district control rooms, and a 24×7 command centre in Shastri Nagar, backed by wireless base camps along the Yamuna for real-time updates.

Largely due to I&FC’s intensified efforts, central and local barrages, such as those at Hathnikund, Wazirabad, and Trilokpuri, have undergone thorough mechanical repairs and silt removal, ensuring gates can be closed or opened swiftly during surges. I&FC has also carried out dry runs, releasing water to mimic river flow scenarios, with gate positions simulated by day and night teams. In 2023, bureaucratic delays and structural defects in gate operations were blamed for the unabated swelling of the Yamuna in Delhi.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta claimed that the previous governments never took flood control seriously and pointed out how, in 2023, the gates of the barrage couldn’t even be opened as a consequence. “In contrast, this year, all major barrages have undergone large-scale repairs and maintenance, and nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed from major drains. Around 80-90% of desilting work by MCD and PWD is complete, the rest is ongoing,” she said.

(Photo | Express)

Infrastructure at peril

Owing to recent storms bringing 50 km/hr gusts over the city, hundreds of power poles have toppled or endured damage, causing power cuts across vast stretches. Tata Power-DDL reported at least 60 poles and 10 transformers compromised, and 257 incidents of fallen trees across its network. In many cases, live wires lie in tourist-thronged underpasses and waterlogged roads, heightening the risk of electrocution.

Despite MCD issuing storm preparedness advisories, urging RWAs to avoid parking under trees, secure rooftops, and stock emergency kits, the actual on-ground pruning of vegetation has been inconsistent.

Delayed power reconnections have come to plague residents repeatedly. During summer months, power outages in some districts lasted up to 10 hours, with minimal real-time status provided by the authorities. Though agencies say they have standby generators, rapid-response repair teams, and contract agreements with civil groups, citizens report slow restoration, especially in eastern zones.

The ongoing Ring Road renovation between Vikaspuri and Mukarba Chowk, while aimed at traffic improvement, involves trenching that can undermine power infrastructure if not professionally supervised. Rekha Gupta herself has flagged exposed electric wires in multiple areas, mandating urgent resolution, acknowledging a longstanding municipal blind spot.

Waterlogged underpasses, weakened roads, and fallen trees amplify risks for the electric infrastructure. In past seasons, harsh winds have uprooted poles in ITO, Minto Road, Dhaula Kuan, and near airport roads. While standby patrols are purportedly deployed, the actual resilience rests on protective infrastructure, insulated underground cabling, and elevated substations, none of which can be restored in weeks. Human casualties remain a grim possibility.

Inconclusive

The capital’s monsoon readiness in June 2025 reflects a patchwork of progress, promise, and peril. On one hand, institutional reforms, the Flood Control Order, I&FC’s nearly complete desilting, barrage readiness, local innovations, and healthcare provisioning, all indicate a city learning from its watery defeats. Inter-agency coordination is better defined, responsibilities clearer, and technology is being introduced.

On the other hand, structural gaps remain glaring, PWD’s slow desilting, unanswered sewage mixing points, unresolved hotspots across 71 critical locations, electricity hazards, and uneven municipal response amplify the risk of floods, blackouts, and fatalities. Delhi remains vulnerable to governance fatigue even before monsoon reaches peak intensity.

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