Elevated roads, metro corridors disrupting Delhi’s natural water flow: Drainage Master Plan

The newly launched Rs 57,000-crore Drainage Master Plan warns that elevated corridors, including the proposed Ring Road, are altering water patterns and worsening waterlogging.

New Delhi: Designed to reduce traffic congestion in Delhi, elevated road corridors, metro corridors and the proposed elevated Ring Road are among factors affecting the natural flow of water in the city and its drainage network, according to the Drainage Master Plan.

The recently launched comprehensive plan highlights how towering road infrastructure may impact the city’s natural water flow. The plan, unveiled by the government, provides a 30-year solution at an estimated cost of around Rs 57,000 crore to the problem of waterlogging, emphasising 'water-sensitive' planning.

“The existing Western Peripheral Expressway has significantly impacted the flow patterns within the Najafgarh basin,” the master plan states.

The Western Peripheral is a 135-km elevated road corridor in Haryana, constructed mainly to divert heavy traffic and reduce air pollution in the national capital. However, the master plan notes that it has altered regional water flows, directly affecting Delhi.

To address these challenges, the plan stresses integrating drainage into the design of major city infrastructure. It suggests that future urban development should combine water and sewer management with modern infrastructure planning.

“The focus on water-sensitive spatial planning and incorporating 'Blue-Green' infrastructure is essential for promoting sustainable and resilient urban development,” the plan added.

As part of the Delhi decongestion initiative, the government had earlier this year announced an ambitious 55-km-long elevated Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) corridor and directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare a detailed project plan.

“Developing an elevated Ring Road and expanding the Delhi Metro could alter water flows, leading to waterlogging and increased flooding,” the master plan, prepared by urban infrastructure experts, states.

According to PWD officials, a feasibility study is under way for the elevated Ring Road, which forms a vital road network passing through densely populated areas.

“While the Western Peripheral Expressway is in Haryana and might not directly affect the city’s stormwater drainage system, during the construction of projects like the elevated Ring Road, all parameters for the drainage network under the flyover will have to be considered,” S. Velmurugan, Chief Scientist at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said.

The plan divides the city into three basins—Najafgarh Basin, Barapullah Basin and Trans-Yamuna Basin. In all three basins, the existing drainage system, over 50 years old, has become inadequate due to rapid urbanisation.