- By Akansha Pandey
- Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:27 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
A new Drainage Master Plan will be released to solve Delhi's chronic waterlogging problem, Union Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Friday. This is the first comprehensive update to the city's drainage plan since 1976.
The new plan is designed to handle rainfall of up to 70 mm per hour, a significant upgrade from the current system's capacity of 30 mm per hour. To achieve this, the city's drainage network will be improved by dividing it into three key zones: Najafgarh, Barapula and Trans-Yamuna. Officials stated that with this upgrade, Delhiites will not have to face waterlogging even during periods of intense rainfall in the upcoming monsoon season.
Naveen Chaudhary, Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD), noted the urgency of the new plan. "The previous master plan was implemented in 1976 when Delhi's population was 60 lakh. Today, it is 2.5 crore," he said.
A Guarantee To Stop Waterlogging
PWD Minister Pravesh Verma called the new master plan "a guarantee to stop waterlogging in Delhi." He highlighted the new government's recent efforts, stating, "Six months ago, when our government was formed, our Chief Minister was seen on the streets tackling waterlogging. We ensured Minto Bridge did not flood this time, and we have removed 20 lakh litres of silt from Delhi's drains."
CM Rekha Gupta Challenges Predecessor
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta used the occasion to challenge her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal. "The central government has always been ready to provide funds to Delhi for the last 11 years. Since coming to power, we have been inspecting the drains ourselves," she said. "I challenge Arvind Kejriwal, who was in power for 11 years, while I have been Chief Minister for six months, to a debate on any issue."
Gupta also criticised the previous administration for the long-standing issue of multiple agencies shirking responsibility for drain maintenance. "In Delhi, there is a major problem where departments claim a particular drain is not under their jurisdiction. We will fix this multi-agency problem," she stated.
In a sharp critique, she added, "This is not a problem we created; we inherited this mess from the previous AAP government. Our government is working to resolve it. We will clean the Yamuna, which was not cleaned in 11 years by Mr Kejriwal's speeches."