Delhi civic body pledges drainage system upgrades after waterlogging crisis

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday offered a formal apology to residents who experienced waterlogging across multiple areas under its jurisdiction following heavy rainfall on Tuesday. NDMC Chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi stated that while the civic body typically clears waterlogging within 15-20 minutes under normal conditions, water persisted for over an hour at three to four locations during the recent downpour.

Delhi received more than 72 millimeters of rainfall in less than two hours on Tuesday, an intensity Dwivedi characterized as unexpected. However, he emphasized that the extreme weather conditions should not be used as justification for the service failures that affected residents across the capital.

"I sincerely apologize to everyone in the NDMC area who faced difficulties due to waterlogging instances on August 25," Dwivedi said in a statement posted on social media. The disruptions caused significant inconvenience to commuters and disrupted normal life across several parts of New Delhi.

In response to the incident, the NDMC has announced plans to undertake both short-term and long-term measures to strengthen its drainage systems and disaster preparedness. The civic body said it would review its existing infrastructure and implement upgrades to ensure faster water clearance during future heavy rainfall events and prevent recurrence of such widespread waterlogging.