Fixing Delhi's monsoon woes a work in progress with repeated delays in formulating a drainage master plan
Delhi, which is prone to waterlogging and flooding following spells of heavy rain, continues to miss deadlines for framing and executing a drainage master plan, according to official documents reviewed by The Hindu.
Chief Secretary Dharmendra has flagged the delay in several meetings, and documents show that the drainage master plan is unlikely to be implemented ahead of the upcoming monsoon, which is less than a month away.
According to the minutes of a meeting on March 17 with senior officials, including those from the Public Works Department (PWD), which was appointed the nodal agency in 2021 to develop the drainage plan, Mr. Dharmendra remarked that 'the pace of progress by the three PWD-appointed consultant agencies is not satisfactory. The Chief Secretary also expressed displeasure over the non-adherence to the timelines'.
50-year-old blueprint
One of the main reasons for the waterlogging in the city is that it continues to operate on a drainage master plan created in 1976. The plan was designed for a population of 60 lakh and intended to handle only 50 mm of rainfall. However, Delhi's population has since increased fourfold.
Moreover, there has been a surge in encroachments and concretisation over the past nearly 50 years, which has decreased the Capital's water absorption capacity and led to a spurt in the quantity of run-off water, causing floods and waterlogging.
Push by the court
In April 2024, the Delhi High Court criticised the Delhi government, then under the Aam Aadmi Party, for the delay in formulating a new drainage master plan, stating, 'The urgency for its implementation cannot be emphasised enough.'
The court directed that detailed project reports (DPRs) for the master plan be finalised by September 15, 2024, administrative decisions taken by November 30, and implementation to begin on December 31. None of these deadlines were met. As of now, the DPRs by private consultants are expected to be finalised by the government on June 30, following which tenders will be floated. However, no deadline has been fixed for the execution, according to officials.
A senior Delhi government official said that while the unclogging and desilting of drains have improved this year, compared to 2024, desilting alone will not solve the problem.
Years of delay
In 2011, the Delhi government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi to develop a drainage master plan. The team submitted its report in 2018, featuring a dynamic software model designed to incorporate data such as topography, soil type, and rainfall. However, in 2021, a technical committee rejected it, prompting the government to start the process afresh.
Professor A.K. Gosain, who led the IIT-D team, said, 'The problem of waterlogging will happen at a particular point, but to solve it, the network of drains to that point has to be seen as a whole. That is why a drainage master plan is important, as it provides a comprehensive picture.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Delhi considers building elevated road over ring road to ease chronic congestion
N ew Delhi: With the city's Ring Road catering to heavier traffic than its capacity, Delhi govt is toying with the idea of building an elevated road over the existing 55-km stretch. PWD minister Parvesh Verma said he had already asked for a feasibility of such a project, with the proposed road to be built on pillars and connected with other arterial roads through ramps. Verma said he had discussed the plan with Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and received a go-ahead from him. "This will be one of the biggest projects of this govt and will be completed within its term," Verma told TOI. The minister said that Delhi's two ring roads bear the maximum load of traffic and remain clogged during peak hours. Adding to the capacity of the existing road would help ease traffic on the existing one while also decongesting other roads that connect with Ring Road. "Since the new road will be entirely elevated, it can be built on pillars along the central verge of the existing road. The project will not require any acquisition of land and so can be completed within a given timeframe," Verma said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo Since a large volume of traffic using the Ring Road disperses on other important arterial roads such as Mathura Road, Aurobindo Marg, DND Flyway or head to the airport, Gurgaon, Rohtak Road and other highways, Verma said traffic movement would become obstruction-free with the construction of the new elevated road. "The cost of the construction of an elevated road comes to about Rs 100 crore per kilometre. This project can easily be completed at a cost of Rs 5,500-6,000 crore," the PWD minister said. Once a relatively efficient arterial corridor designed to decongest central areas and facilitate cross-city travel, Ring Road is now facing chronic congestion. Unlike the newer Outer Ring Road, developed later to redirect peripheral traffic, the inner Ring Road is buckling under mounting pressures. From urban sprawl and flawed planning to infrastructure saturation and enforcement gaps, a confluence of factors has brought the once-speedy corridor to a glacial pace. When Ring Road was originally planned in the 1950s and completed in the following decades, it was meant to serve a very different city — both in population and traffic volume. At the time, Delhi had fewer than three million residents. Today, the metro region is home to over 30 million. The road, however, has not expanded proportionately to accommodate this growth. What was once designed as a bypass route now functions as a semi-central road. As the city grew outward, neighbourhoods like South Extension, Punjabi Bagh, Lajpat Nagar and Ashram became dense mid-city urban hubs. Ring Road now cuts through commercial, institutional and residential areas. The corridor is used not just by through traffic but also by local traffic to access shops, markets, schools and hospitals — all of which generate frequent stops and lane intrusions. Intersections like AIIMS, Moolchand, Dhaula Kuan, Ashram and ITO are choke points where arterial routes intersect with heavy local traffic. While flyovers and underpasses have been built at some locations, they often only shift the congestion rather than resolve it. Delhi Traffic Police conducted a survey in 2024 and found that of 134 congestion hotspots, at least 12 were located on Ring Road and Outer Ring Road.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Fixing Delhi's monsoon woes a work in progress with repeated delays in formulating a drainage master plan
Delhi, which is prone to waterlogging and flooding following spells of heavy rain, continues to miss deadlines for framing and executing a drainage master plan, according to official documents reviewed by The Hindu. Chief Secretary Dharmendra has flagged the delay in several meetings, and documents show that the drainage master plan is unlikely to be implemented ahead of the upcoming monsoon, which is less than a month away. According to the minutes of a meeting on March 17 with senior officials, including those from the Public Works Department (PWD), which was appointed the nodal agency in 2021 to develop the drainage plan, Mr. Dharmendra remarked that 'the pace of progress by the three PWD-appointed consultant agencies is not satisfactory. The Chief Secretary also expressed displeasure over the non-adherence to the timelines'. 50-year-old blueprint One of the main reasons for the waterlogging in the city is that it continues to operate on a drainage master plan created in 1976. The plan was designed for a population of 60 lakh and intended to handle only 50 mm of rainfall. However, Delhi's population has since increased fourfold. Moreover, there has been a surge in encroachments and concretisation over the past nearly 50 years, which has decreased the Capital's water absorption capacity and led to a spurt in the quantity of run-off water, causing floods and waterlogging. Push by the court In April 2024, the Delhi High Court criticised the Delhi government, then under the Aam Aadmi Party, for the delay in formulating a new drainage master plan, stating, 'The urgency for its implementation cannot be emphasised enough.' The court directed that detailed project reports (DPRs) for the master plan be finalised by September 15, 2024, administrative decisions taken by November 30, and implementation to begin on December 31. None of these deadlines were met. As of now, the DPRs by private consultants are expected to be finalised by the government on June 30, following which tenders will be floated. However, no deadline has been fixed for the execution, according to officials. A senior Delhi government official said that while the unclogging and desilting of drains have improved this year, compared to 2024, desilting alone will not solve the problem. Years of delay In 2011, the Delhi government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi to develop a drainage master plan. The team submitted its report in 2018, featuring a dynamic software model designed to incorporate data such as topography, soil type, and rainfall. However, in 2021, a technical committee rejected it, prompting the government to start the process afresh. Professor A.K. Gosain, who led the IIT-D team, said, 'The problem of waterlogging will happen at a particular point, but to solve it, the network of drains to that point has to be seen as a whole. That is why a drainage master plan is important, as it provides a comprehensive picture.'
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Srinagar's Jamia Masjid locked on Eid, Mirwaiz detained
SRINAGAR: Srinagar's historic Jamia Masjid was locked and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest Saturday on Eid-ul-Adha, denying devotees the opportunity to offer prayers and provoking a backlash from many, including CM Omar Abdullah. Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar, which looks after the mosque management, said the gates were closed early Saturday morning and police deployed outside. Mirwaiz and Hurriyat Conference chairman Umar Farooq's family has traditionally led prayers at the mosque for generations. 'It is deeply regrettable that once again, people were not allowed to offer Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid,' Omar said. He expressed helplessness, saying law and order in J&K Union territory fell under the purview of lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha's administration. 'I have no idea on what grounds such decisions are made,' the CM said. Omar urged the authorities to trust J&K's residents, saying 'these are the same people who, after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, came forward and unequivocally condemned it'. The CM called on 'the govt' to reconsider such actions in the future, alluding probably to the administration of the Centre-appointed LG. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq decried the mosque closure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 최대 할인 지원해드려요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo 'Yet again, Kashmir wakes up to the sad reality: no Eid prayers at Eidgah, and Jama Masjid locked down for 7th straight year. I, too, have been detained at my home. In a Muslim-majority region, Muslims are deprived of their fundamental right to pray even on their most important religious occasion celebrated across the world! What a shame on those who rule over us, and on those elected by the people who choose to remain silent as our rights are trampled over, again and again,' the Mirwaiz posted on X. J&K police and home department had not issued any statement on locking of the mosque and Mirwaiz's detention. PDP president and former CM Mehbooba Mufti joined the condemnation, accusing the Omar-led govt of being 'mere spectators'. 'J&K is the only Muslim-majority region in the country, and yet it is here that a major mosque is shut down on Eid, denying people their right to offer prayers. If govt claims everything is normal in J&K, why is the Mirwaiz not allowed to offer prayers,' Mehbooba said. Asked about the restrictions, BJP functionary and J&K Waqf Board chairperson Darkshan Andrabi declined comment. 'Jamia Masjid doesn't come under Waqf Board,' she said.
