Delhi faces monsoon threat as major drain cleaning remains incomplete despite government deadlines and assurances.
NEW DELHI: Monsoon has yet to arrive in the national capital, Delhi, but residents are already worried—will the newly formed government be able to prevent the city from drowning in rainwater once again? This concern is not unfounded.
On June 17, just half an hour of heavy rainfall in the afternoon exposed the poor preparedness of all civic agencies. Whether it was the roads of Mahipalpur, the routes leading to Terminal 1 of the airport, or the Vasant Village area—heavy waterlogging brought traffic to a crawl. Roads turned into ponds, vehicles appeared to float, and hours-long traffic jams left frustrated commuters cursing the authorities.
Speaking to local residents, many expressed deep concern. “The monsoon hasn’t even started, and this is the condition. When the real rains come, only God can save Delhi,” said one commuter stuck near the airport. According to the latest report, as of Monday, only about 60.47% of the 2,064.08 kilometres of drains managed by the Public Works Department (PWD) had been cleaned. The original deadline for this task was May 30, but PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma extended it to June 15 after inspecting the work.
This year, the monsoon is expected to arrive in Delhi around June 25. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and PWD and Irrigation & Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma visited key drain sites shortly after taking office and assured citizens that they would not let waterlogging disrupt the capital this monsoon. However, with deadlines already missed, their promise appears increasingly difficult to keep. According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, 90% of the cleaning work on its 77 drains has been completed.
In contrast, the PWD has cleaned only a little over 60% of its drains. With the pre-monsoon showers already causing disruption, incomplete drain cleaning could spell disaster once the full monsoon arrives. A breakdown of major drain cleaning efforts reveals troubling data. Out of the total 2,064.08 kilometres of drains managed by the PWD, just over 1,300 kilometres have been cleaned so far. Several key drains remain significantly incomplete.
The Shahdara drain has been cleaned up to 72.92%, the East Road drain stands at 62.25%, while the North Road (NR) drain lags behind with only 52.66% of the cleaning work completed. Regarding silt removal, the government had targeted the removal of 2.26 lakh metric tons (MT) of silt from 77 major drains in Delhi. As of May 29, only 1.42 lakh MT had been removed, which is just 62.81% of the target.
Various agencies in Delhi are responsible for maintaining different stretches of the city’s drainage system. The PWD manages the largest share, overseeing 2,064.08 kilometres of drains. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is responsible for 521.87 kilometres, while the Flood and Irrigation Department maintains 426.55 kilometres.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) looks after 335.29 kilometres, and the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) handles 98.12 kilometres. Additionally, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) manages 251.30 kilometres, the Delhi Cantonment Board oversees 39.88 kilometres, and the NTPC is responsible for 3.42 kilometres of drainage infrastructure.
According to MCD data, the total number of drains under its jurisdiction is 20,159. Of these, 721 have a width or depth of more than 4 feet, while 19,438 are smaller.
