Civic body to cover Subhash Nagar drain at Rs 85 crore

A 2.9-km drain in Subhash Nagar, west Delhi, will be covered soon, much to the relief of area residents who have been complaining of its filth and stink for years.

A 2.9-km drain in Subhash Nagar, west Delhi, will be covered soon, much to the relief of area residents who have been complaining of its filth and stink for years.

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The South Delhi Municipal Corporation kicked off the Rs 85-crore project on Friday. Subhash Arya, the leader of the civic body's House, said at an event to inaugurate the project that the 12m-wide drain would be covered in 36 months.

Once the project is completed, the municipal corporation hopes to use the drain covers to build parks and community centres and as parking spaces, similar to the ones that have been created in Lajpat Nagar.

"Our aim is to cover the drain and help the residents who have been complaining about the stink and dirt. But in order to ensure that the covers are not encroached upon, the corporation will come up with a plan to convert them into common areas such as community halls, parking spaces and parks, depending on the requirements of the area," said a senior official.

Residents of the area had been complaining for years about how the drain has turned into a garbage dump and how it is leading to a spread of diseases.

"An air-conditioner that I bought only months ago has begun giving trouble because of the filth in the area," Pallavi Sharma, an area resident, said about the drain that runs all the way to Najafgarh.