Ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in the Capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has shared a series of measures it has implemented to prevent waterlogging in and around Lutyens’ Delhi during early September.
According to Satish Upadhyay, the vice-chairperson of NDMC, the council took proactive steps following heavy rainfall in July. They identified areas prone to waterlogging and enhanced their resources to address this issue.
In specific locations like Lodhi Estate, Bharti Nagar, Golf Links, and Dayal Singh College, more than 100 additional portable pumps have been strategically placed. To ensure the efficient operation of these pumps, control rooms and operational teams have been established. Furthermore, the council conducted fresh desilting work in drains to optimize water flow.
NDMC pinpointed five particularly vulnerable areas plagued by waterlogging: Africa Avenue, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Panchkuian Road near Connaught Place, Purana Quila Road near Mathura Road, and Lodhi Estate.
To effectively drain water from local drains, the council installed 185-horsepower pumps in addition to the existing 56-horsepower portable pumps, all managed by round-the-clock operating staff.
During the previous month, substantial portions of New Delhi experienced flooding, with Connaught Place, Kartavya Path, and Janpath particularly affected. Images of these incidents circulated widely on social media platforms. Notably, waterlogging also impacted the residences of senior bureaucrats and judges in areas like Lodhi Estate, Maharishi Raman Marg, and Max Mueller Marg. To prevent further issues, the council had to disconnect electricity in certain regions.
To address this, the council introduced portable electrical submersible pumps, enabling the direct removal of stagnant water into manholes.
NDMC oversees an area spanning 42.7 square kilometers with a resident population of 0.25 million and a daily floating population of 1.6-2 million. The region includes 578 meters of covered drains, 11,907 manholes, and over 14,264 gully gratings and bellmouths. The main drainage barrel, designated as number 9, runs from Panchkuian Road, Outer CP circle, along KG Marg and India Gate towards Khan Market, eventually connecting with the MCD open drain near Dyal Singh College before reaching the Yamuna River.
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