New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) has begun drainage work at the Minto Road underpass — one of the city’s most flood-prone spots — to prevent waterlogging ahead of the monsoon.

The agency has also begun working to ease the waterlogging problem at West Delhi’s Zakhira underpass, officials said on Wednesday.

Both spots have been on the list of the top ten waterlogging spots for the past several years.

The PWD is constructing a new 1,000 mm diameter drain to handle excess rainwater.

The drain will be laid around three metres underground and extend up to the BJP’s national headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, connecting to a larger drainage system.

“The aim is to ensure faster and more efficient drainage during heavy rain,” a PWD official said, adding that tenders have been floated for the work.

The PWD is also raising the height of pumps installed near the underpass to keep them operational during intense downpours. Last year, parts of the equipment were submerged due to heavy rainfall, leading to severe waterlogging.

The underpass is notorious for its failure to drain water every time it rains heavy and is a routine site for pictures of submerged vehicles.

Although photos and videos of vehicles stuck under the Minto Road railway bridge are a common sight every monsoon, a permanent solution has remained elusive.

“At Zakhira, new additional pumps will be installed along with a new drain to solve the issue of flooding,” the official said.

PWD, which is responsible for around 1,400 kilometres of drain pipes in the city, made interventions at around a dozen waterlogging hotspots last year. PTI SSM SSM VN VN