Delhi PWD to replace ageing brick drains with concrete in ₹150 crore RCC project

The Delhi PWD will replace old brick and brick-barrel drains with precast RCC structures across several areas to improve storm-water drainage.

New Delhi : The Public Works Department (PWD) is set to replace several decades-old brick and brick-barrel drains across the city with factory-made precast reinforced cement concrete (RCC) drains, as part of an effort to remodel Delhi’s ageing storm-water network.

PWD orders require at least 90% of drain-remodelling work to use factory-made RCC precast boxes, with the rest built using cast-in-situ concrete.

The replacement is expected to cover several stretches across north, south and east Delhi, in areas including Timarpur, Andrews Ganj, Swaroop Nagar-Burari, Goyla Dairy Road and roads around Pankha Road and Dabri, where patches of older drains still exist. The project will cost approximately ₹150 crore, officials said.

The new PWD orders mandate that at least 90% of the drain-remodelling work should be executed using factory-made RCC precast drain boxes, with the remaining portion allowed to be constructed through the cast-in-situ method, which involves concrete being poured, molded, and cured directly at its final location on the construction site. Any deviation from this ratio will require technical justification from the concerned executive engineer, officials said.

A senior PWD official said the replacement will focus on stretches where the existing brick drains have become old and require repeated maintenance. “The objective is to replace the old drainage structures with properly designed precast RCC drains and ensure that the capacity of the drains is adequate for storm-water discharge, particularly during the rainy season,” the official said.

Among the sanctioned works, ₹37.61 crore has been approved for construction of precast and RCC box drains in place of old brick/pipe drains on Andrews Ganj roads. Another ₹49.98 crore has been sanctioned for replacing old brick drains on stretches from Dabri roundabout towards Triveni Park, Pankha Road and connecting stretches towards Janak Setu. A ₹32.27-crore project has also been approved for a precast RCC drain, toe wall and footpath on Goyla Dairy Road.

In north Delhi, ₹47.79 crore has been sanctioned for construction and remodelling of drains along Swaroop Nagar-Burari Road, Libaspur-Siraspur Road and adjoining stretches. A separate ₹16.71-crore sanction covers drain and footpath work on Timarpur Road.

Experts said surface drains were introduced by the British in the 19th century in India, replacing older underground drains.

“Since these are much older, they may have collapsed in some areas and may need replacement as these were built to carry lesser volume of sewage and storm water than what is discharged now,” said Manu Bhatnagar from the Intach.