NEW DELHI: To address the recurring problem of waterlogging that cripples traffic every monsoon, the government is preparing an extensive plan to overhaul drainage infrastructure across several key stretches of the city.
Among the major projects proposed, the Public Works Department (PWD) has drawn up a Rs 387-crore plan to completely redesign the drainage network along the 22-kilometre Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.
According to senior officials, the project proposal will soon be presented before the Expenditure and Finance Committee (E&FC), chaired by CM Rekha Gupta, for final approval. “The note for the E&FC meeting is being prepared. Along with Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, similar work is being undertaken at Karala-Kanjhawala Road and Zakhira underpass,” a PWD official said.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy aligned with Delhi’s new drainage master plan, which aims to modernise the national capital’s outflow systems and reduce flooding during heavy rainfall.
The Rs 57,000-crore master plan, announced last month, marks the first major upgrade of the national capital’s drainage network in five decades. It outlines a five-phase, five-year implementation plan and a 30-year roadmap to modernise stormwater systems and curb waterlogging during increasingly severe monsoons. The plan also envisions redesigning outdated channels.
Officials noted that the identified stretches — including Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Zakhira underpass, and Karala-Kanjhawala Road — are among the most waterlogging-prone spots in the city. The Zakhira underpass, in particular, features among the top ten waterlogging hotspots in the national capital. Investigations last year revealed that water accumulation there is worsened by nearby railway tracks, necessitating structural redesign.
In addition, the PWD is simultaneously remodelling the drainage system along Rohtak Road, covering an 18-km stretch. Of this, work on 11 km has already been completed, while the remaining portion is expected to be finished by March 2026.
