Delhi govt sanctions ₹25.6cr to resolve waterlogging hotspot at Chhatarpur

New DelhiThe Delhi government on Wednesday granted administrative approval and expenditure sanction of ₹25

New Delhi

The project comprises a 1.4km precast drain along Mandi Road, a 1.9 km precast drain along Bandh Road, two pump houses to clear stormwater and relaying the entire Mandi Road. (Representative photo)

The Delhi government on Wednesday granted administrative approval and expenditure sanction of ₹25.6 crore for a modern drainage network and two pump houses at Mandi Road and Bandh Road in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, in a bid to resolve waterlogging at one of the city’s perennial hot spots.

The project comprises a 1.4km precast drain along Mandi Road, a 1.9 km precast drain along Bandh Road, two pump houses to clear stormwater and relaying the entire Mandi Road.

A site inspection of the impacted stretch was carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma in July, when heavy rainfall inundated the stretch. “Earlier, this road was under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The responsibility has now been brought under PWD, enabling faster decisions, a single point of accountability and integrated planning of road and drainage works.Financial bids for the project have been opened and the work will be awarded shortly,” a PWD official said.

Mandi Road connects CDR Chowk to the Delhi-Haryana border via Jaunapur village, and the area is naturally low-lying. Rainwater once drained through a natural channel into Haryana, but rapid urbanisation closed that outlet. Since then, every monsoon has brought knee-deep water, traffic jams and damaged roads, while temporary pumping has offered only short-lived relief. The work, once completed, is expected to bring relief to residents of Sultanpur, Gadaipur village, Jaunapur village and nearby areas, who have had to wade through flooded roads every monsoon.

Minister Verma said, “When I visited Mandi Road, residents told me clearly that waterlogging had made their lives difficult for years and that it must be fixed on priority. For too long, the people of Sultanpur, Gadaipur, Jaunapur and nearby areas were told to simply live with this problem.”

“Every monsoon, the same pumps came out and the same promises were made. Under ‘One Government, One Governance’, PWD has taken charge of this road, and with ₹25.60 crore sanctioned, we are building precast drains on both sides of Mandi Road, a drain along Bandh Road and two pump houses. This is a permanent solution, not a temporary patch,” he said.

Officials said that the precast drain technology allows faster construction with minimal disruption to residents and traffic.