After decades of delay, abandoned drafts and monsoon chaos, the Delhi Government on Friday unveiled a new Drainage Master Plan — a landmark blueprint designed to solve the national Capital’s recurring urban flooding and waterlogging issues for the next 30 years. This comes nearly half a century after the last one was prepared in 1976.
The drainage master plan has divided the city into three basins — Najafgarh Basin, Barapullah Basin and Trans-Yamuna Basin — and hired consultants to redesign the drainage network, at an approximate cost of `57,362. 85 crore. The Najafgarh basin, which covers nearly 918 sq km, will require `33,499.15 crore while the Barapullah basin (376 sq km) will need `14,546.76 crore.
The overhaul of the Trans-Yamuna basin (197 sq km) will cost about `9,316.94 crore in the next five years.
By 2029-30, the final year, testing and system handover will be completed,” the plan states. To prepare the roadmap, the plan studied factors such as terrain slopes, surface depressions and inadequate existing infrastructure. It proposes diverting excess rainwater from storm water drains to nearby lakes, wetlands or other water bodies using “Nature-Based Solutions” (NBS), including Low Impact Development (LID) practices. This, the plan says, will reduce urban flooding while offering ecological benefits. Once the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is approved by the Government, PWD will invite tenders from private firms to begin on-ground execution and turn this plan into a long-term solution for Delhi’s drainage needs.
The plan aims to address both present challenges and future demands in the face of rapid urban growth and recurring waterlogging problems. Delhi’s current drainage system is built to handle just 25mm of rainfall at a time. In contrast, the new network will be capable of managing 65-70mm. The master plan marks a significant upgrade from the outdated 1976 plan, with the latest study incorporating state-of-the-art tools like ArcGIS, SewerGEMS and SWMM. These technologies have been used to create a unified, integrated model of Delhi’s storm water system, connecting existing drains, waterbodies, wetlands and green spaces. The ambitious plan, finalised by the Public Works Department (PWD), seeks to build a climate-resilient, technologically advanced storm water system that can withstand extreme rainfall, rapid urbanisation and the Capital’s swelling population.
The last comprehensive drainage master plan for Delhi was prepared in 1976, when the city’s population was just 60 lakhs. With the population now nearing two crores and urbanisation accelerating the current Drainage Master Plan was much needed. The national Capital has approximately 18,958 km of drainage network under the jurisdiction of eight different civic agencies and departments including PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control, MCD, DDA, NDMC etc.
Prepared by the PWD in consultation with eight civic agencies including Irrigation & Flood Control, MCD, DDA, NHAI, DJB and NDMC, the new Drainage Master Plan covers the entire 18,958 km drainage network of Delhi. It includes detailed feasibility studies identifying causes of waterlogging, rainfall patterns, and bottlenecks, along with actionable recommendations.
Recalling her initial review of the city’s drainage system, the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta shared her personal inspections of Barapullah Nallah, Kushak Drain, Minto Bridge and ITO Bridge. She proudly pointed out that, for the first time, areas like Minto Bridge and ITO did not face severe waterlogging this year, a chronic issue in the past. She said the Union Government would be assisting with the funding of the plan.
“We started our governance with visits to nallahs and legacy waterlogging points. We have great teamwork; we do not work from air-conditioned rooms,” the Chief Minister said. The CM alleged that previous governments did not find solutions to the city’s sewer and drainage problems. “They were only interested in giving lollipops,” she said. PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said, “Since the beginning of our Government, we have given examples that we are serious about solving waterlogging issues in the city. Minto Bridge underpass is one such example - we have resolved the problem there”. He added that the drainage master plan is a “guarantee card” of no waterlogging in the city.
“Till now, Delhi saw unplanned development, which led to severe problems,” he said. “From now on, any drainage work done in Delhi will be based on the master plan,” Verma added. Hitting out at former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Verma alleged, “The previous government did not carry out any study. They were only busy making a Sheeshmahal and were interested in filling their own homes.”
A new master plan has been under discussion for years. Back in 2009, then lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna directed civic bodies to prepare a watershed and drainage master plan. At the time - and even now - the only plan in place was from 1976. It took then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit three years to announce in 2012 that IIT-Delhi would prepare a modern master plan, factoring in the city’s rapid growth. The report was submitted in 2018, but the plan was stalled citing the “absence of crucial data and reference points”.
