NEW DELHI: Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday launched Delhi’s new drainage master plan to address the city’s waterlogging and sewage challenges in the next three decades.
The plan seeks to reshape the city’s drainage network at an estimated cost of Rs 57,000 crore, with the Centre pledging financial assistance to support its rollout.
The plan has divided the city into three basins—Najafgarh, Barapullah and Trans-Yamuna—and hired consultants to redesign the drainage network.
“The Central government will be helping the state to implement the drainage master plan,” said Khattar.
The last comprehensive drainage master plan was prepared in 1976 when Delhi had a population of 60 lakh. Now, with the population touching nearly 2.5 crore, the city’s drainage system is facing increasing pressure.
The national capital has approximately 18,958 km of drainage network under the jurisdiction of eight civic agencies and departments, including PWD, irrigation and flood control, MCD, DDA, NDMC etc.
The new drainage master plan targets 30-year solution for urban flooding. The consultants have analysed factors like slopes, depressions, and the existing old and insufficient infra to improve drainage efficiency.
After the DPR is approved, the agency will start the process of inviting tenders from private companies to carry out the work on the ground. Feasibility study has been done on micro and macro level.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, “We have been visiting legacy waterlogging points. We do not work from air-conditioned rooms.”
“The drainage master plan is a guarantee card of no waterlogging,” said Water Minister Parvesh Verma.