New Delhi to get modern drainage system along Badarpur Highway
New Delhi is set to witness a major infrastructure upgrade as plans move forward for a 4.35-kilometre drainage system along the Badarpur Elevated Road. The project, estimated at ₹24.48 crore, is designed to permanently resolve chronic waterlogging issues that have for years plagued one of the busiest arterial stretches of the capital and its surrounding neighbourhoods. Officials have indicated that tendering is expected to be finalised by early November, with the project targeted for completion in just six months.
The new drainage system has been conceived after recurrent episodes of flooding, most recently during this year’s monsoon, when several parts of Badarpur khadar were inundated and residents had to be evacuated. Transport and urban planning experts note that waterlogging along this corridor not only disrupts daily traffic on Mathura Road and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road but also impacts residential colonies across Delhi and Faridabad.
According to the technical design, the system will comprise precast drains with a depth and width of two metres, engineered with high load-bearing capacity. Once operational, it is expected to divert rainwater away from overstretched drains along Mathura Road, thereby easing the load on the existing network. Officials have projected a design life of three to four decades, with the intent of providing a sustainable, long-term solution to flooding that currently forces traffic to a standstill during heavy rainfall.
The scale of the problem is significant. The existing drains along Mathura Road were built decades ago and are now overwhelmed by the runoff from expanding colonies such as Tajpur Pahadi, Molarband Extension, Badarpur Extension and Mohan Baba Nagar, home to lakhs of residents. Even periodic desilting has not prevented severe flooding, with waterlogging of up to four feet recorded in several stretches this year alone.Government officials argue that the new infrastructure is critical for improving road safety, commuter reliability and the quality of life in adjoining neighbourhoods. They emphasise that modernisation of stormwater infrastructure must go hand in hand with the capital’s broader climate resilience agenda. Flood mitigation, they stress, is as central to Delhi’s future as reducing emissions and expanding sustainable transport.
Alongside the drainage project, work is also scheduled to begin on a pedestrian foot overbridge at Molarband Extension. The new facility, linking Delhi with Faridabad’s Sector 37, is expected to significantly improve mobility and safety for thousands of students and workers who currently risk their lives crossing the highway daily. Analysts view this as a complementary intervention that underscores how infrastructure investment can directly enhance safety and accessibility in urban spaces.By addressing both flooding and pedestrian hazards, the new measures reflect a shift towards infrastructure that is inclusive, eco-friendly and designed for long-term sustainability. If executed within schedule, the Badarpur initiative could serve as a model for how Indian cities tackle urban flooding and mobility bottlenecks, demonstrating the importance of forward-looking planning in making cities both liveable and resilient.
