Delhi's flood woes: Expert reveals huge planning error that drowned nation's capital
Delhi's town plan and development challenges, including the handling of flood-prone areas and the need for improved drainage systems, are highlighted by an expert town planner.
FollowThe first town plan for Delhi after Independence in the 1962 had a serious flaw, which has only worsened over the years, leading to the current crisis of flooding in much of the city. According to AK Jain, former Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the master plan made a crucial mistake by treating the flood-prone Yamuna region as an "empty lot."
"Delhi has been built and rebuilt many times over the last 1,000 years," said Jain in an interview with NDTV, but in its development, the city has faced a long-standing geographical challenge: "There's a river on one side and a ridge on the other. Delhi has always been settled between them."
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Delhi's geographical challenge has always been the presence of the Yamuna River on one side and a ridge on the other. British architect Edward Lutyens recognized the flood risk when Delhi was chosen as the capital, but construction proceeded despite concerns because "King George V had already laid the foundation stone."
In the years that followed, a ring road, power plants, and structures like the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium, the Delhi secretariat, a Delhi Transport Corporation Depot, and landfills were all constructed in this susceptible area.
"That's why you see the ring road was flooded this time," Jain told NDTV.
The area, classified as Zone O, was meant to be preserved with no further construction allowed. However, nearly 100 unauthorized colonies started emerging in this zone, expanding Delhi's footprint into risky areas.
Recent developments in the city's master plan have exacerbated the issue, reducing the area of the river and intensifying potential floods, noted the former DDA commissioner. According to the new plan, the Yamuna region would be limited to 63 sq km, and the remaining land, where illegal colonies have sprouted up, will be regularised, cutting the area of the river by 40 per cent.
"This will make floods like this more intense," warned Jain, also stating that the drainage system of Delhi has to be entirely revised. "The water is not receding because a lot of drains are experiencing backflow because the water level in the river has risen," he explained.
The city's drainage system, designed for a much smaller population in the 70s, is now overwhelmed. Expanding the drainage system and reimagining rainwater as an asset are urgent measures to address the problem. "For this, the built-up area has to be kept at a minimum," he said.
Unusually heavy rainfall from neighboring states has exacerbated the current flooding crisis in Delhi, leading to evacuations and severe disruptions.
Large portions of Delhi have been under water for almost a week as a result of the highest river levels in 45 years as a result of abnormally heavy rainfall, much of it coming in from the adjacent state of Haryana.
This has prompted evacuations, flooded historic sites, covered roads, and resulted in at least three drowning deaths that have been documented. In order to control the water levels, authorities and aid workers have been battling for the past two days to free stuck floodgates and fix damaged drain regulators.
