India, Oct. 22 -- Every monsoon carried the same ritual for the people of Sultanpur, Gadaipur and Jaunapur: the water would rise first at the lowest bend of Mandi Road, then spread until the street itself disappeared, leaving only the tops of scooters and the outlines of stranded autos visible above a sheet of brown water. This year, that ritual finally has an expiry date.

The Delhi Government has sanctioned Rs 25.60 crore for a permanent drainage network and two pump houses at Mandi Road and Bandh Road, aimed at ending one of South Delhi's most stubborn waterlogging problems.

The sanction traces back to a July site visit by PWD and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, undertaken after heavy rain had left the stretch badly waterlogged. S...