Tag : drainage

    Delhi's existing drainage master plan inadequate to deal with 'crisis situations', Rajya Sabha told

    Nidhi Khurana
    August7/ 2023

    New Delhi: On Monday, the Rajya Sabha was informed that the current drainage master plan for Delhi, which was prepared in 1976, is not sufficient to deal with "crisis situations." The city of Delhi saw historic flooding and waterlogging last month. On July 8 and 9, the city received 125 percent of its monthly rainfall allotment in just two days, leading to severe waterlogging. Subsequently, the Yamuna swelled to record levels as a result of severe rainfall in the river's higher catchment districts, which include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri responded to a written question by saying, "The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has informed that Drainage Master Plan for Delhi was prepared in 1976 and stated that the existing Drainage Master Plan is not adequate to deal with crisis situations in Delhi." Whether the current drainage master plan is sufficient to deal with crisis scenarios like the floods and waterlogging in the National Capital Territory of Delhi was the subject of a written question submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque. According to Puri, the Delhi administration was also made aware of a 2018 proposal for a draught drainage master plan by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The minister noted, "The GNCTD has stated that Delhi now needs a comprehensive new Drainage Master Plan," and added that the GNCTD had also notified him that certain low-lying regions have been identified. The increasing urgency of this problem is underscored by the fact that climatic changes are already occurring, including more frequent and intense downpours. Puri responded, "This requires concerted efforts on the part of all agenc ...

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