Every monsoon brings a familiar ordeal for residents of Kirari in northwest Delhi. Sewage-mixed rainwater floods lanes, enters homes and leaves people wading through filthy water to reach schools, workplaces and markets.
In several pockets, the problem persists even after the rain stops. Residents have had to use gumboots to move through sewage-filled streets, while waterlogging has disrupted school attendance and affected local shops. The Delhi government has now cleared a Rs 263.45 crore trunk drain project aimed at addressing the area’s chronic waterlogging problem by substantially increasing its stormwater drainage capacity.
Officials said the revised estimate factors in quoted rates as well as expenditure on civil works, environmental safeguards, maintenance and shifting of railway stores.
Its width and depth will vary along the stretch depending on the volume of water it is designed to carry. The project was earlier estimated to cost Rs 220.93 crore. Delhi govt’s Expenditure Finance Committee has now approved a revised cost of Rs 263.45 crore, an increase of Rs 42.52 crore. The drain will start near Mundka Halt and run for about 4.48km before discharging into the Supplementary Drain.
Existing Drain Can Handle Just A Fraction Of Runoff The scale of the drainage deficit is reflected in the numbers. The impact has repeatedly been seen on the ground. In several residential pockets, stagnant sewage water has remained outside, and at times inside, homes for prolonged periods.
The 4.48 km drain will be constructed along the railway line from Mundka Halt to the Supplementary Drain and will have a discharge capacity of 760 cusecs. It will act as a major outfall for around 70 unauthorised colonies in Kirari and also cater to parts of Mundka, Bawana and Nangloi Jat. The Kirari catchment generates an estimated 1,193 cusecs of runoff, while the existing Kirari Suleman Nagar (KSN) drain has a capacity of just 88 cusecs. A separate trunk drain being constructed by Delhi Development Authority has a capacity of 433 cusecs. The proposed railway-line drain will add another 760 cusecs to the drainage network. Kirari has more than 100 unauthorised colonies without a sewerage system, according to govt records, putting additional pressure on the area’s limited drainage infrastructure during the monsoon. A school in Kirari had to shut in 2024 after sewage-mixed rainwater entered its premises. Project Cost Rises By Rs 42.52 Crore The project is expected to be completed by December 2027.
Delhi Jal Board has also told National Green Tribunal that inadequate stormwater drainage and obstruction of natural drainage channels are among the reasons for persistent waterlogging and wastewater accumulation in Kirari.
