Munirka Flood: A Shameful Repeat Every Year

 Delhi Govt’s Negligence Turns Munirka’s Service Road into a Monsoon Lake – A Shameful Repeat Every Year

By Bruce K. Thangkhal 
Munirka, South Delhi | 09.08.'25

Today, around 11:30 a.m., this lensman captured what has sadly become an annual scene in Munirka, South Delhi — a major service road submerged under filthy rainwater, crippling traffic and putting public safety at risk. After 12 years, this lensman happened to capture it again, only to find nothing had changed.

The images speak for themselves: DTC and cluster buses plowing through knee-deep water, auto-rickshaws and motorcycles struggling to move, and pedestrians stranded under bus stands. Cars, taxis, and delivery vehicles waded through the flooded stretch, creating waves that only worsened the misery for two-wheelers and those on foot.

This is not a rural back alley. This is a crucial service road in South Delhi, a capital city that claims to be on the path to becoming a “world-class metropolis.” And yet, a single spell of monsoon rain turns it into an urban pond every year.

The problem is neither new nor unforeseeable. Locals know that this road floods every monsoon, but the Delhi government and its concerned agencies — whether PWD, SDMC, or DJB — have consistently failed to fix the underlying issue: poor drainage infrastructure. Instead of taking preventive steps before the rains, authorities seem to be waiting for disaster to strike, only to send out excuses and photo-ops later.

This annual chaos is more than an inconvenience. It means:

Delayed public transport, affecting thousands of daily commuters.

Traffic jams that waste man-hours and fuel.

Damage to vehicles and increased risk of accidents.

Health hazards from stagnant, dirty water.

For a city that spends crores on “beautification” and PR campaigns, the inability to ensure basic stormwater drainage is nothing short of administrative incompetence. Citizens don’t need new slogans — they need working drains, timely desilting, and accountability for repeated negligence.

Until the government treats drainage management as a year-round priority rather than a post-flood embarrassment, Munirka and many other parts of Delhi will continue to drown in the same predictable mess — while officials stay dry in their offices.

If Delhi aspires to be a smart city, it must first prove it can handle a smart monsoon.

*****

12 Years ago...
Delhi Drowns: Monsoon Rains Expose Government's Failure

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