New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- After years of knee-deep water, traffic snarls and repeated temporary fixes every monsoon, residents of Chhatarpur's Sultanpur, Gadaipur and Jaunapur villages could finally get relief, with the Delhi government sanctioning Rs 25.60 crore for a drainage network and two pump houses on Mandi Road and Bandh Road.
The project, which has received administrative approval and expenditure sanction, includes the construction of precast drains along both sides of a 710-metre stretch of Mandi Road, covering 1,420 metres in total, and a 1,920-metre drain along one side of Bandh Road. Two pump houses will also be installed to facilitate the rapid removal of stormwater.
Separately, a four-kilometre stretch of Mandi Road will be rebuilt with bituminous surfacing. Financial bids for the road work have been opened, and the contract is expected to be awarded shortly, according to the project details.
The decision follows a site inspection by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh in July, when heavy rainfall left the stretch waterlogged. Residents had urged the minister to prioritise a lasting solution, citing disruption to daily commutes, businesses and movement in the area during the monsoon.
"When I visited Mandi Road, residents told me clearly that waterlogging had made their lives difficult for years and that it must be fixed on priority. I gave them my word, and today we are keeping it," Singh said.
The minister said the project was intended to replace the temporary pumping arrangements used during previous monsoons with a permanent drainage system.
"Under One Government, One Governance, PWD has taken charge of this road, and with Rs.25.60 crore sanctioned, we are building precast drains on both sides of Mandi Road, a drain along Bandh Road and two pump houses. This is a permanent solution, not a temporary patch," he said.
According to the project details, the area is naturally low-lying, and rapid urbanisation has obstructed the natural drainage route through which rainwater previously flowed towards Haryana. The resulting accumulation of stormwater has repeatedly caused flooding, traffic congestion and road damage.
The stretch was previously under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and has now been brought under the PWD. The government expects precast drain construction to speed up work and reduce disruption to traffic and residents.
Singh has directed PWD officials to maintain quality checks and monitor progress closely, with the aim of providing relief before the next monsoon.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.