Gzb opts for quick repair, holds ₹100-cr drainage plan

A ₹100-crore drainage redevelopment project in Ghaziabad is on hold; a ₹9.5-crore repair project begins amid local concerns over waterlogging.

Ghaziabad: A ₹100-crore detailed project report for drainage redevelopment along the Loni stretch of the Delhi-Saharanpur Road has been put on hold for now and a ₹9.5-crore drainage repair project has been initiated, officials said.

HT has earlier reported the challenges motorists face using the Delhi-Saharanpur Road during monsoon. (HT)

The decision to pursue a smaller drainage project has sparked opposition from local residents, as the area struggles with waterlogging during the monsoon. However, officials said the smaller project was required to boost flood preparedness before the monsoon arrives.

The Delhi-Saharanpur Road, which passes through Loni, connects motorists from Delhi and Ghaziabad to western Uttar Pradesh.

Local residents said the road was constructed in 2019 for about ₹17 crore; however, it crumbled within months as it lacked a well-laid drainage system. Residents added that following several complaints, the UP government approved redevelopment of the same road in December 2025 for about ₹32 crore, and the UP Public Works Department is currently carrying out the work.

However, a 5.5-km drainage system could not be constructed on each side of the road. Therefore, the UP Jal Nigam’s Construction And Design Services (C&DS) wing was tasked with preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for this.

Rameez Qadir, executive engineer of C&DS, told HT: “The DPR was completed for about ₹100 crore. However, it has been put on hold for now as the Loni Nagar Palika floated tenders for drain-related works for the existing drainage system.”

Executive officer of the Loni Nagar Palika, KK Mishra, did not respond to requests for comment.

Loni Nagar Palika’s chief sanitary and food inspector, Sanjeev Kumar Awana, told HT: “The Nagar Palika has floated tenders and the construction of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) drains on either side of the road, estimated to cost about ₹9.5 crore, has started. We expect the work to finish before the monsoon to avoid waterlogging in Loni and on the Delhi-Saharanpur Road.”

Meanwhile, residents said the Delhi-Saharanpur Road currently has a two-metre-wide drainage system, which has been encroached upon at various places and is not properly cemented. “Residents have been requesting a proper drainage system for more than seven years. Otherwise, the road will again crumble and ₹32 crore will go down the drain. If, as claimed by the Nagar Palika, the work can be done at a cost of ₹9.5 crore, then what was the need to prepare a DPR for a project that will cost ₹100 crore? We will wait for the outcome of the drain construction,” Vikas Garg, a resident of Balram Nagar told HT.

HT on September 7, 2025, reported the challenges motorists face using this road during monsoon.

Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar did not respond to calls for a comment.