While Delhi’s population has gone up from 62 lakh in 1981 to 1.67 crore in 2011, the city’s drainage system is based on the Master Plan finalised in 1981. No wonder, the drainage system is not able to cope with an almost three-time increase in population and extensive urbanisation.
There are about 5,000 drains — big and small — in Delhi and the majority of them are too old to be repaired or revived. Despite Delhi Government having appointed Professor
AK Gosain, Head of Department, Civil Engineering at IIT Delhi, to draw up a Master Plan to solve the waterlogging crisis, a report could not be provided to the Government. The Delhi Government had promised the institution
3D digitised maps prepared by Geo Spatial limited (GSl). But 13 months later, IIT is still waiting to hear from the departments concerned. The project involved photographing drains and the waterlogged areas.
Not only do the drains lead to massive waterlogging but potholes on Delhi roads too are a peril during monsoon. Delhi State Industrial And Infrastructure Development Corporation limited (DSIIDC), as part of a summer action plan preparedness, has already started the work of cleaning and desilting in industrial areas like GT Karnal Road, Badli Industrial Area, Kirti Nagar, Mangolpuri Industrial Area, Phase-I, Udyog Nagar, DSIIDC Nangloi, Jhilmil, Patparganj, Naraina Industrial Area, Wazirpur, Okhla, Narela and Bawana Industrial Area.
