Rs 57,000-crore master plan unveiled to rid Delhi of its waterlogging, drainage & sewage woes

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched Delhi’s new drainage master plan on September 19, under a long-term strategy designed to address the capital’s waterlogging and sewage challenges over the next three decades.

The plan seeks to reshape the city’s drainage network at an estimated cost of ₹57,000 crore, with the central government pledging financial assistance to support its rollout.

Speaking at the launch, Khattar said the master plan had been structured to meet both current and future needs as Delhi continues to expand rapidly. The city has been divided into three drainage basins — Najafgarh, Barapullah and Trans-Yamuna — with consultants appointed to redesign the network in each zone.


Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the state government was working in partnership with the Centre to deliver what she called a long overdue solution. “We started our governance with visits to nallahs and legacy waterlogging points. We have great teamwork; we do not work from air-conditioned rooms,” she said, adding that earlier governments had failed to act decisively on the issue.

BJP leader Parvesh Verma described the initiative as a turning point, calling the plan a “guarantee card” against waterlogging. He pointed to the Minto Bridge underpass — long notorious for flooding during the monsoon — as an example where the current administration had already intervened successfully.

“Till now, Delhi saw unplanned development, which led to severe problems. From now on, any drainage work done in Delhi will be based on the master plan,” Verma said.

The announcement also carried a political edge. Both Gupta and Verma criticised past administrations, with Verma alleging that former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government did not commission serious studies on the capital’s drainage system.

“The previous government did not carry out any study. They were only busy making a Sheeshmahal and were interested in filling their own homes,” he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party has not issued an immediate response to the criticism.

For Delhi residents, the plan signals a possible shift after years of seasonal flooding, clogged drains and ad hoc repairs. Officials say the new master plan will standardise all future drainage projects, ensuring they are linked to the broader city-wide design rather than undertaken piecemeal.