The Delhi government has approved Rs 387.84 crore to replace and upgrade the drainage network along the 22-km Mehrauli-Badarpur Road corridor, in a major infrastructure push aimed at reducing recurring waterlogging across parts of southeast Delhi.
The project will cover the stretch between Lado Sarai and the Pul Prahladpur railway overbridge. According to Public Works Department officials cited by Millennium Post, the work is expected to be completed within two years of the award of the contract.
The existing drainage system has struggled to manage the volume of rainwater flowing into the corridor from the Sangam Vihar belt. Construction activity in the surrounding area has also affected natural drainage channels, worsening water accumulation during the monsoon, the officials said.
Under the approved plan, old brick drains will be replaced with precast reinforced cement concrete box drains. The new structures are intended to increase stormwater-carrying capacity and reduce the frequency of repairs and maintenance along the busy road corridor.
The need for the intervention has been highlighted by repeated drainage failures on the stretch. The road between Shooting Range and MB Road, which was reconstructed before this year’s monsoon, suffered damage after rainwater remained accumulated on its surface. The incident illustrates how road construction and drainage performance are closely linked: even a newly rebuilt carriageway remains vulnerable when runoff has no reliable route away from the road.
The MB Road corridor serves areas where rapid construction and settlement growth have placed additional pressure on older drainage infrastructure. The project therefore involves more than replacing a damaged roadside facility. It is also an attempt to restore the stormwater function of a corridor affected by changes in land use, blocked or altered natural channels and increasing runoff during heavy rain.
The expenditure is part of the Delhi government’s wider drainage master plan, which is estimated to cost around Rs 57,000 crore. The larger plan provides the administrative and financial context for the MB Road project, although the supplied report does not specify the project’s tendering agency, contractor, package structure or the precise locations of the proposed drains.
The next formal milestone will be the award of work. The two-year completion period will begin after that award, according to the PWD officials cited in the report.
