The Delhi government has stepped up its preparations for the monsoon season, completing more than 90% of the drain desilting work across the city to reduce the chances of waterlogging. The Public Works Department (PWD), which looks after the largest share of Delhi’s drainage network, has almost finished cleaning drains in its three major zones to ensure that rainwater flows smoothly during heavy showers.
According to official data available till Thursday, 2nd July, the PWD has desilted around 1,955 kilometres of drains out of its total 2,123-kilometre drainage network. This includes 539.34 km of drains in the East Zone, 603 km in the South Zone and 812 km in the North Zone. Since the PWD manages nearly half of Delhi’s entire drainage system, officials say this work is a key part of the city’s monsoon preparedness.
Government focuses on preventing waterlogging
Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the government’s main goal is to keep drains clean and fully functional so that people do not face problems during heavy rainfall.
“Our priority is to clean the drainage network and make it functional to ensure that even during heavy rainfall, water does not accumulate and disrupt movement. For this, we have strengthened the manpower, and the desilting work is ongoing at the desired pace, with overall more than 90% of the work completed,” he said.
The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department has also made significant progress. It has completed around 93% of desilting work across its 77 major drains and has already removed more than 31 lakh metric tonnes of silt. The department manages about 382 kilometres of drains, including important channels such as the Najafgarh Drain, Barapullah Drain and Delhi Gate Drain.
Singh said officials have also been instructed to ensure that the removed silt is disposed of properly so that it does not flow back into the drains after rainfall.
Hundreds of waterlogging hotspots under watch
To tackle flooding more effectively, the Delhi government has identified several locations that are vulnerable to waterlogging. Officials said 169 areas have been marked as particularly prone to flooding, while a broader assessment based on Delhi Traffic Police data from 2023, 2024 and 2025 has identified 445 waterlogging hotspots across the city.
Among these, 31 locations are situated along the busy Ring Road. To deal with emergencies at these spots, the PWD and the I&FC Department have deployed temporary pumping machines, automatic pumping stations and quick response teams that can respond immediately whenever heavy rain leads to water accumulation.
MCD and NDMC also complete major cleaning work
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also exceeded its targets under the city’s pre-monsoon cleaning drive. Officials said that by 25th June, the civic body had removed around 1.7 lakh metric tonnes of silt from its 793 major stormwater drains, achieving nearly 126% of its Phase-I target of 1.4 lakh metric tonnes.
The MCD also performed better than expected in cleaning smaller drains. It removed 29,686.83 metric tonnes of silt from 12,892 smaller drains, crossing its target of 25,850.5 metric tonnes and achieving nearly 115% of the planned work.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has also completed 100% cleaning of all identified bell-mouths and gully traps during the second phase of its cleanliness campaign.
NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal said, “As of July 1, 2026, all 7,888 identified bell-mouths and 4,833 gully traps were thoroughly inspected and cleaned, leaving zero backlog ahead of the monsoon spells. Additionally, the civic body has recorded a 99.12% completion rate for its rainwater harvesting systems, having serviced 337 out of 340 total units.”
He added that between January and June this year, the NDMC removed a total of 885 cubic metres of silt from bell-mouths, gully traps and manholes to ensure smooth drainage during the rainy season.
Apart from cleaning drains, the Delhi government has also strengthened its flood management system. A total of 16 flood control posts have been set up across the city to monitor water levels and respond quickly during emergencies. These include nine posts along the Yamuna River, four on the Najafgarh Drain, two on the supplementary drain and one near the Jahangirpuri drain.
