Delhi: Maharani Bagh in flooding distress

Residents of Maharani Bagh accuse PWD of worsening flooding by drilling holes in a boundary wall, redirecting stormwater into their area without permission.

Residents of southeast Delhi’s Maharani Bagh have accused the Public Works Department (PWD) of worsening monsoon flooding in the colony by drilling holes in the boundary wall along Ring Road without consultation or authorisation. The move, allegedly aimed at easing waterlogging on the Ring Road, has redirected stormwater into the low-lying residential area, sparking outrage and legal escalation.

A flooded road in Maharani Bagh. (HT Photo)

The Maharani Bagh Residents Welfare Association (RWA) said the action has further compounded chronic waterlogging issues caused by runoff from elevated roads like Mathura Road and C.V. Raman Marg. “Despite full knowledge that Maharani Bagh is a vulnerable low-lying colony, already facing flooding due to backflow from the clogged Taimoor Nagar Nala, the PWD is now diverting additional rain runoff into our internal roads by drilling holes in the boundary wall separating Ring Road from the colony,” said Shiv Mehra, RWA president. “This is not just insensitive—it’s brazenly reckless.”

According to residents, the Delhi high court is now monitoring the situation through a Special Task Force (STF). Minutes of a July 10 meeting between the irrigation and flood control department and members of the Maharani Bagh society, as well as recent STF updates, highlight repeated delays by agencies including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has failed to cover open drains in the area, leaving local parks unusable and posing health risks.

Residents claim that when they questioned PWD officials, they were told the wall-puncturing was carried out to divert media attention from waterlogging on the Ring Road. “PWD doesn’t care that our already low-lying colony is being further submerged,” said Amitosh Moitra, secretary of the RWA. “Neither could they show any written permission that allows them to puncture the walls, nor do they have any answer to the potentially dangerous situation of the walls collapsing due to the wanton weakening of their base,” Moitra added.

With peak monsoon weeks still ahead, residents say they are bracing for even worse flooding and are considering further legal options if the matter remains unresolved. RWA members allege that the PWD bypassed a more sustainable solution previously recommended by MCD—constructing a peripheral trench to intercept runoff water before it enters the colony. “One agency’s convenience is prioritised over our suffering,” Mehra said. “Instead of solving their drainage problem responsibly by constructing trenches to intercept this runoff, they’re pushing the risk onto residents, compounding flooding and safety hazards in a colony already at risk,” Mehra added.

PWD did not respond to HT’s queries about the matter.