Delhi govt clears ₹453.9 crore for two-lane, 61km road along Najafgarh drain

The corridor will link outer and west Delhi localities with roads and highways, and extending connectivity up to the Delhi-Haryana border, near Gurugram.

New Delhi : Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday approved a ₹453.95 crore project to build a nearly 61-kilometre-long road network along both sides of the Najafgarh drain, to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity between rural Delhi and the city’s arterial road network.

A view of Najafgarh drain area at sector-108 near Woodshire residential society.

The decision was cleared at a meeting of the Finance Expenditure Committee, chaired by the chief minister, at the Delhi Secretariat. Irrigation and flood control (I&FC) minister Parvesh Verma also took part in the meeting.

“The primary objective of this project is to reduce congestion on major roads, cut travel time and fuel consumption and lower vehicular emissions. The corridor will provide an alternative route within the capital’s transport network,” said Gupta.

HT infographics

According to officials, the project involves the construction of a two-lane road along the drain, with a total developed length of 60.77 kilometres. The corridor is expected to function as an alternative intra-city route, linking several outer and west Delhi localities with major roads and highways, and extending connectivity up to the Delhi-Haryana border, near Gurugram.

The chief minister said that a 5.94-kilometre two-lane road will be built on the left bank of the drain, from Jhatikra Bridge to Chhawla Bridge. Then, from Chhawla to Basaidarapur, roads will be developed along both sides of the drain across a length of 27.415 kilometres, taking the combined road networks across both banks to 54.83 kilometres.

Officials said the corridor will integrate with several key roads: the Inner Ring Road, at Basaidarapur; the Outer Ring Road, at Keshopur; the Pankha Road, at Vikaspuri; the Najafgarh Road, at Kakrola; the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), at Dhulsiras, which will connect to NH-9 (Rohtak Road), enabling access towards the airport and the Dwarka Expressway.

The project is expected to benefit both urban and rural areas, located along the drain. Areas likely to gain improved connectivity include Uttam Nagar, Vikaspuri, Najafgarh, Bijwasan, Chhawla, Goyla Dairy, Dwarka, Baprola, Nilothi, Paschim Vihar, Rajouri Garden and the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Villages connected to the Dwarka Expressway, such as Galibpur, Rawta Mor, Daurala, Jhuljhuli, Sarangpur, Dhansa, Ghummanhera, Shikarpur, Jhatikra, Kanganheri and Chhawla, are also expected to benefit from improved access. The corridor will further strengthen links between Delhi and neighbouring Haryana, including Gurugram’s sectors 104 and 110.

Under the plan, a paved carriageway approximately seven metres wide will be constructed along the drain. Separate tracks for pedestrians, joggers and cyclists are also proposed as part of the design. A new bridge will be built near the Dwarka Metro Depot to facilitate smoother traffic movement across the drain, officials said.

Officials said landscaping and tree plantation will be undertaken along the stretch, boundary walls will be constructed where required and damaged sections repaired. Streetlighting, signage and drainage infrastructure will be installed to address waterlogging during the monsoon.

The CM said the project has already received approval from the technical committee concerned and the flood control board. “We aim to grant the necessary administrative approvals by March 2026, complete the tendering process by April 2026 and commence construction by May 2026,” she said.

The government has set a target of completing the project by November 2027. Gupta said the corridor is intended to strengthen connectivity between rural and urban areas and support integrated development.

Once completed, the Najafgarh drain corridor is expected to provide an additional north-west to west Delhi link, aimed at reducing pressure on existing arterial routes and improving access to residential, commercial and airport.