Delhi WaterLogging: A Case of Poor Infrastructure and Unplanned Urbanisation 

For 22-year-old Tanuja, it was a usual Wednesday evening when she went out to buy groceries with her son. The evening turned tragic when she and her three-year-old child drowned in a waterlogged drain in East Delhi's Ghazipur area.

Upon arriving at the scene, the police found that Tanuja and her child, Priyansh, who were on their way to the weekly Budh Bazaar in the Ghazipur Police Station area of East Delhi, had fallen into a waterlogged, partially constructed drain and drowned. 

It had rained a lot in Delhi—108 mm on July 31, which exceeds the total rainfall recorded for the entire month of August over the past two years. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert in Delhi and NCR regions predicting heavy rains for the next 24 hours. Residents have been advised to stay indoors and not travel unnecessarily. 

Seven people have already lost their lives due to the rains. Following the massive downpour, schools have been closed in the capital. Commuters reported severe traffic congestion in both Delhi and the Delhi-Noida Expressway. 

The Delhi Traffic Police reportedly received 50 complaints regarding waterlogging. Amid the heavy downpour in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena cautioned all officers to stay alert. He instructed them to minimise inconvenience to the public and specifically address issues at waterlogging-prone sites, including coaching centers, according to a post on X. 

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Constant Repetition of the Past? 

Whatever happened on July 31 is not new. People of the capital witnessed it before. Talks about waterlogging and deaths due to floods have become a constant discussion in Delhi. 

On July 9, 2023, Delhi saw its highest July rainfall in over 40 years with 153 millimeters. The next day, the Yamuna River exceeded its safety level. The flood in Delhi and other parts of north India led to loss of public and private property, waterlogging, and more. 

One of the most horrific incidents that shook the entire country was the death of three UPSC aspirants in a coaching institute’s (Rao IAS) flooded basement in New Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar. 

The victims have been identified as Shreya Yadav, 25 from Uttar Pradesh Tanya Soni, 25 from Telangana; and Nevin Dalvin, 28 from Kerala. According to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Mayor Shelly Oberoi, the students lost their lives in a library that was "illegally" operating in the basement of a coaching center. 

Following this, students started protesting in the national capital. Speaking to ANI, a student said, “From 10-15 years, UPSC aspirants are facing the same problems, like broker harassment and landlord harassment. The infrastructure of the old Rajendra Nagar is insufficient. I think the government should immediately respond to what students are demanding.” 

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has released an incident report following the incident. The report as per the Indian Express mentions that a two-foot-deep, bowl-shaped depression in the road, combined with ramps obstructing the flow of rainwater into drains and the splash created by vehicles driving through, worsened the problem. 

The report adds, “This coaching institute has completely blocked the drainage system and has not taken additional safeguards to meet such types of eventualities.” 

Economic Loss Due to Floods 

To talk about the economic side, floods in north India in 2023 lead to a loss of at least Rs 10,000 crore. A SBI Research report said, “While the current status of economic loss due to these floods is yet to be estimated, we still believe this is in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs15,000 crore.” 

Between 2012 and 2021, more than 17,000 people have died due to floods and heavy rains in India. In a response to a Rajya Sabha query, former Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu explained that urban floods are mainly caused by an increase in intense, short-duration rainfall. He noted that this problem is exacerbated by unplanned urbanisation, encroachment on natural water bodies, and poor drainage infrastructure. 

A research paper named “GIS-Based Urban Flood Risk Assessment and Management—A Case Study of Delhi National Capital Territory (NCT), India,” published in 2021, says that urban flooding has primarily been caused by the limited capacity of river canals, the presence of large populations in low-lying areas, and the rapid expansion of human settlements without corresponding improvements in drainage infrastructure. It further adds that floods were responsible for around 39.26 percent of global natural disasters and caused $397.3 billion in damage from 2000 to 2014 worldwide. 

Poor Infrastructure and Persistent Floods 

The research paper further adds that a detailed review of flood zoning patterns shows that high-risk areas are those previously marked as poorly planned or unplanned, characterised by high population densities and inadequate housing conditions. “These include areas of North Delhi and the Trans-Yamuna Area,” it says. 

Another research paper titled ‘Urban waterlogging risk susceptibility within changing patterns of rainfall intensity in Delhi, India’ says, “The city (Delhi) system demands regular maintenance of its sewage pipes, cleaning of inlets, and taking care of waste disposal as it clogs the drain and increases risk of waterlogging.” 

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The main reason behind Delhi’s flooding and waterlogging is because of the lack of drainage system. While on the one hand, rapid urbanization is happening, on the other hand, its drainage system has taken a back seat. 1976 was the time when the last drainage plan was crafted by the city. 

A 2019 report published by the PWD says that many pumps in areas highly susceptible to severe waterlogging, such as the Moolchand underpass, Nizamuddin subway, and Badarpur, have been classified as “defective” or “non-operational.” 

Highlighting the lack of cooperation between departments, a PWD official said, “There is no coordination among departments. For instance, there was confusion over which department the Barapullah drain falls under. We manage main stormwater drains, but domestic sewer water is often released into them. Due to this, the drain overflows and water comes onto the road.” 

To add to it, the Delhi High Court has also criticized the 'freebie culture' of the Delhi government and blamed the government for not collecting enough money for upgrading the infrastructure. 

Budget Allocation on Infrastructure 

In its 2023-24 budget, the Delhi government allocated Rs 78,800 crore with a focus on creating a 'Clean, Beautiful, and Modern Delhi.' Of this, Rs 21,000 crore was designated specifically for improving the city's infrastructure. The 2024-25 Budget by the Delhi government that was presented by Delhi Finance Minister, Atishi, had improvement of road infrastructure as its major focus areas. 

For roads and flyovers in Delhi, it proposed Rs 1,768 crore. For the fiscal year 2024–25, the budget also included Rs 902 crores allocated for the improvement of these unauthorised areas. Delhi reportedly has 1,800 unauthorised colonies housing 30 per cent of Delhi's population. As per the claims of the AAP government, it has constructed 5,175 kilometers of roads in 1,355 of these colonies. 

However, the infrastructure scenario in Delhi seems to be too poor. In January last year, the government even came up with a comprehensive road building plan for road repair and maintenance, involving a 10-year contract for a single agency. The plan, however, as per a senior PWD official, is not working, as per the Indian Express. Criticising the government's inadequate infrastructure, the Delhi High Court pointed out that while multi-story buildings are being permitted, there is no proper drainage system in place. 

Amid the ongoing storm, it becomes pertinent for all the civic bodies and government authorities to work together to solve an issue that has become a persistent backlog in our lives.