Delhi’s irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that desilting 77 drains across the city will be completed before monsoon–by May 31, 2026. However, the tribunal noted that as of April 1, only around 30% of these drains has been desilted so far.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava said, “Learned counsel for the respondent stated that as on today (April 1) the percentage achieved is 30.41 and the entire desilting work will be completed by May 31, 2026. Hence, I&FC is directed to file further progress report before the next date of hearing.”
The matter has been listed for hearing on May 21.
In May last year, the NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report which flagged that by the end of April 2025, only 21% of the desilting target had been met. Since then, the tribunal has regularly sought updates from agencies, notably the I&FC department, on the status of desilting.
A delay in clearing major drains often leads to widespread waterlogging, with the silt obstructing the natural flow of water and causing it back up and flood roads, underpasses and colonies.
A status report shared by the I&FC department, on March 18, 2026 had said that approximately 23% of the desilting work had been completed by that point. From the 77 drains, a total of 2,857,464 metric tonnes (MT) of silt is planned to be removed by May 31, 2026, it had said.
The same report noted that the progress of the Shahdara drain stood at 35.5%, while Barapullah drain was at 4.8%. The Najafgarh drain – Delhi’s largest drain is meanwhile being desilted in five segments. While the progress percentage for desilting of two of the five segments stood at 5.9% and 20.9% respectively, work on the other three segments was yet to start.
Delhi typically receives its first monsoon showers around June 27. In 2023, the rains arrived two days early on June 25. That year, a record 228mm of rain in 24 hours on June 28 led to heavy waterlogging across the city, including in Lutyens’ Delhi and several south Delhi neighbourhoods. Water entered homes and shops, and emergency teams were forced to carry out large-scale pumping operations. At least 50 rain-related deaths were reported during the season.
According to the data from the environment department submitted to the NGT’s appointed committee in January 2023, the Najafgarh drain accounted for nearly 69% of all wastewater reaching the Yamuna. The Shahdara and Barapulla drains followed at 10.9% and 3.15% respectively.
