Delhi govt identifies more than 400 waterlogging hotspots ahead of monsoon

The Delhi government has identified around 445 waterlogging hotspots which are under special monitoring by the authorities, officials said on Tuesday.

According to Public Works Department (PWD) officials, out of the 445 identified waterlogging hotspots in the capital, 335 locations fall under their jurisdiction, others are under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Irrigation and Flood Control department.

“At these hotspots special monitoring, de-silting of drains, deployment of pumps and rapid response teams are being utilised to strengthen the drainage system,” an official said.

The goal of PWD Delhi is to ensure safe, convenient, and uninterrupted movement for citizens while keeping waterlogging incidents to a minimum, he added.

According to government officials, the work along the 2,100 kilometers of drains that comes under the purview of the PWD has also progressed. The hotspots are based on traffic police’s report of 2023, 2024 and 2025.

“Under the pre-monsoon preparations, the work of de-silting drains is progressing at desired pace. So far, cleaning of more than 1,389 kilometers of PWD drains has been completed to strengthen the drainage system,” he added.

The PWD has also issued a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure continuous monitoring of dewatering pumps to avoid waterlogging during monsoon.

The 10-point SOP issued by the department had listed out measures to be taken for traffic management, dewatering exercise, prevent damage to roads and ensure public safety during the monsoon season in the city.

PWD manages more than 50 per cent of the drainage network on the national capital, after which the Irrigation and Flood Control department manages the large drains and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi maintains smaller drains.

Earlier, the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta headed a review meeting on monsoon preparedness, where she directed all the departments to remain on alert and maintain proper coordination with each other.

Chief Minister Gupta specifically directed that a nodal officer be appointed for every identified waterlogging point in Delhi, with clearly defined responsibilities.

She has said that if waterlogging occurs in any area, the concerned officer will be held directly accountable. She further directed all departments to keep their teams on alert and remain prepared to deal with any emergency situation during the monsoon.

Also Read: Delhi: Waterlogging makes a comeback ahead of monsoon

The Delhi government has undertaken a city-wide drive to identify, monitor and rectify vulnerable locations.