NHAI takes over Dhaula Kuan underpass after Delhi agencies fail to fix waterlogging

The underpass was handed over to the NHAI in November to engage expert agencies and obtain funding from MoRTH to find a solution

New Delhi

There are two water pipelines passing below the underpass, according to officials. One is a DJB supply line and another is a Military Engineering Services (MES) pipeline. (HT Archive)

A year on since the issue of waterlogging cropped up at the RR Hospital underpass, located on the Dhaula Kuan-Terminal 1 approach road, Delhi’s civic agencies have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the problem, despite spending well above ₹15 lakh on repairs, according to a presentation made at a meeting held by the Delhi government last week.

The underpass was handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in November to engage expert agencies and obtain funding from the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) to find a solution.

“Since Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has not been able to identify the source of water leakage despite much effort, in a recent meeting held in November, the secretary (MoRTH) directed an expert agency (such as WAPCOS, etc) to identify the source… NHAl will take over maintenance of the underpass after rectification of the leakage problem, with financial assistance from MoD, as the stretch is not a notified NH,” the NHAI said in the presentation.

A meeting was held by Delhi chief minister with agencies last week, in which the agencies said the problem is linked to suspected leakage from the retaining wall below the underpass. Public Works Department (PWD) records show that over ₹15.79 lakh was paid to DJB to detect and disconnect an existing 300mm water pipeline, but waterlogging has persisted.

“The DJB carried-out the work for detection and disconnection of the existing 300mm water line but the waterlogging problem could not be resolved,” NHAI said in a presentation during the meeting.

PWD officials said that the underpass was initially developed by NHAI and later handed over to the PWD for maintenance. In December 2024, the PWD initially started getting complaints of water filling up in the underpass, along the Parade Road near Dhaula Kuan’s Manekshaw Centre, but the incidents were irregular.

“We got to know that water was filling up only on some days and initially thought that it was intentionally being done by someone. But the frequency has been increasing. We conducted inspections also to find if there is any leakage but there was no visible sign,” a senior PWD official said.

Water samples were then tested to check the source, which showed the presence of chlorine content. Officials said chlorine is present in the treated water supplied by Delhi Jal Board (DJB), after which the agency was asked to identify and rectify any leakages in its pipelines. There are two water pipelines passing below the underpass, according to officials. One is a DJB supply line and another is a Military Engineering Services (MES) pipeline.

With the NHAI taking charge of the underpass, it is likely that the MES pipelines will also be checked now with the help of experts.