Every year, same problem: Who is to blame for sinking Delhi-NCR after heavy rain?

India Today

2 days ago

A heavy spell of rain since last evening has left large parts of Delhi and NCR, especially North Delhi and many areas of Gurugram, severely waterlogged. The water inundation brought traffic to a standstill, flooded residential colonies, and once again exposed the recurring monsoon preparedness crisis in the national capital.Despite tall claims and early planning, Delhi appears to have been caught off guard yet again. Ironically, monsoon preparations in the city begin nearly six months in advance each year, yet the first major rainfall is enough to throw normal life out of gear. advertisementA key factor behind this is the complex web of responsibilities split across multiple civic bodies, with no single agency held fully accountable.
Delhi's drainage and sewage management is handled by at least half a dozen different agencies - including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.Each is responsible for different zones and types of drains, yet overlapping jurisdictions and lack of coordination often lead to chaos. The MCD, for instance, is responsible for sanitation across nearly 96 per cent of Delhi's area and about 98 per cent of its population. Apart from managing solid waste, the MCD is also tasked with cleaning drains along roads narrower than 60 feet - mostly inside residential colonies.Despite a dedicated allocation of Rs 36 crore this year, separate from the routine sanitation budget, the civic body admitted it had cleaned only 75 per cent of the drains under its jurisdiction by the time the monsoon arrived.Larger drains along major roads such as Ring Road, ITO, and Minto Road - areas notorious for chronic waterlogging - fall under the domain of the PWD. These key arterial routes were among the worst affected in the last 24 hours. The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and PWD Minister Pravesh Verma, had earlier launched a campaign to ensure waterlogging would be avoided this year. Yet, water stood ankle-deep on several stretches under PWD's 1,259 km of road network.Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board, responsible for the city's sewer system, faces its own set of challenges. A total of Rs 450 crore was allocated in the city's annual budget to upgrade the crumbling sewer infrastructure, which in many places is decades old and not equipped to handle the current population load.Even where drains are cleaned, overflowing or clogged sewers lead to street-level flooding. A comprehensive masterplan was drawn up back in 2014 to address these systemic issues, but 11 years later, most of it remains on paper.advertisementThe Irrigation and Flood Control Department oversees major stormwater drains that discharge directly into the Yamuna - including the Najafgarh, Shahdara, Kushak, and Barapullah drains.
Every year, a flood control order is issued before the monsoon and inter-agency meetings are held to monitor Yamuna's water level and clean these major channels. But the impact of these measures on the ground remains questionable, as high-intensity rain spells continue to cripple the city.The NDMC, which manages some of Delhi's most elite zones, including Lutyens' Delhi, also came under fire after waterlogging was reported in multiple locations - partly due to ongoing construction work hampering drainage flow.The DDA, responsible for colonies like Rohini, Dwarka, and Sarita Vihar, too is tasked with maintaining drains in its areas.As civic agencies scramble to drain flooded roads and restore traffic flow today, residents across Delhi-NCR are left asking the same question as they do each monsoon: why does the capital of the country still sink at the first sight of rain?- Ends
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