Delhi govt prioritises ₹1,043 crore trunk drain projects to curb flooding
Projects span West, South and North-West Delhi, covering NH-10, MB Road and Kirari–Rithala stretches with timelines up to 2026.
The Delhi government will prioritise the completion of four major trunk drains at the cost of ₹1,043 crore, incorporating the recommendations of the new drainage master plan in an attempt to resolve regional waterlogging issues in parts of the national capital.
Under this initiative, four major drains Mundka Halt–Supplementary Drain, the MB road storm water drain network, the Kirari–Rithala trunk drain and the stormwater drain network along NH-10 will be developed as components of the ‘Drainage Master Plan,’ the government said in a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday.
CM Rekha Gupta said the administration has prioritised those areas of the capital where residents have suffered for years due to “waterlogging”, “overloaded sewer lines” and related issues.
Noting that the ‘Drainage Master Plan’ was originally prepared in the 1970s and it had not been revised despite rapid population growth and large-scale construction activity, she said, “Our government has introduced effective changes keeping in view Delhi’s geographical conditions, recurring waterlogging and population pressure, and drainage infrastructure is now being constructed accordingly, so that the national capital does not face waterlogging and related problems in the future.”
To address drainage issues in the Kirari, Mundka, Bawana and Nangloi Assembly constituencies of West Delhi, a 4.5-km-long trunk drain parallel to the railway line has been proposed, a government official told HT.
The project is being implemented by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department at an estimated cost of ₹220.93 crore. “I has been designed to handle rainwater from a large catchment area of 1,520 acres. The discharge capacity of the drain has been fixed at 760 cusecs to ensure uninterrupted drainage even during peak monsoon rainfall,” the official said.
The Kirari region suffers from acute drainage woes with colonies remaining inundated during the monsoon season, during which It has also seen cases of drowning and electrocutions.
“The drain will originate near Mundka halt station and will run along the railway corridor before merging with the supplementary drain. A key feature of this project is that water from several secondary drains along the route will also be integrated into it, creating a unified drainage system for the entire area, the official said. “The work is proposed within railway land limits, for which an MoU has already been signed with the Railways.”
The official added that waterlogging has also been a persistent and serious issue in south Delhi, particularly in the stretch from Lado Sarai T-Point to Pul Prahladpur. “Keeping this in view, the MB Road Stormwater drain project has been incorporated into the ‘Drainage Master Plan’. Under this project, the total road length is 11.38 km, while the combined length of drains on both sides will be 22.76 km. The estimated cost of the project is ₹387.84 crore, and it is scheduled to be completed within 2.5 years, including six months of pre-construction and two years of construction.”
The MB road project is being executed by the Public Works Department (PWD). “Existing storm water drains in several locations are either inadequate in capacity or have been damaged during other construction activities,” the official added.
Another significant project is the construction of a 7,200-metre-long trunk drain from Kirari to Rithala (near Rohini) in North-West Delhi. “This Delhi Development Authority (DDA) project has an estimated cost of ₹250.21 crore, with a designed discharge capacity of 1,160 cusecs. At present, approximately 600 metres of construction work has been completed. The remaining work had been stalled due to pending permission for the felling of 84 trees, an issue that has now been resolved.” The lieutenant governor gave permission for the tree impact assessment of the area last week.
Often dubbed as the worst stretch in the national capital, the Rohtak Road (NH-10) suffers from acute drainage problems. CMO officials said that construction and improvement of drains on both sides are underway from Kirari Suleman Drain near Nangloi Railway Metro Station to Hirankudna Drain (from Metro Pillar No. 428 to 626), and from Tikri Border to Hirankudna Drain (from Metro Pillar No. 753 to 626). “The estimated cost of this project is ₹184 crore, out of which the Government of India has provided ₹105 crore in 2025–26 under the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)’ scheme. The project is targeted for completion by March 2026,” the official added.
Gupta said that Delhi’s ‘Drainage Master Plan’ has been prepared keeping in view the city’s rapid urbanisation, climate change and population pressure. “Its objective is to enhance the capacity of major trunk drains to ensure safe and swift discharge of rainwater into the Yamuna, reduce pressure on the sewerage system, and provide a permanent solution to the problem of waterlogging. Once completed, these projects will provide lasting relief to large parts of the capital from recurring monsoon waterlogging.”
