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Delhi, the capital of India, is preparing to welcome the monsoon. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon is expected to hit the national capital on June 24, 2025, a few days earlier than usual.
Delhi, located on the banks of the Ganga’s main tributary, the Yamuna, has been prone to floods. Since 1900, Delhi has experienced six major floods in the years 1924, 1947, 1976, 1978, 1988 and 1995.
The flooding usually happens as the Yamuna overflows when large volumes of water are released from the Tajewala dam upstream. However, on June 28, 2024, south Delhi also witnessed flooding from a high rainfall episode.
Delhi is divided into five major drainage basins on the basis of topography: Najafgarh basin, Alipur basin, Shahadra basin, Kushak-Barrapullah basin and Mehrauli basin, according to a report by non-profit The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
The drainage of Delhi is such that all the water from drains and small rivulets usually flow into the Yamuna, as per TERI.
“Encroachment by slum dwellers along the drains causes choking of drains and flooding in the upstream areas due to reduced carrying capacity. Dumping of solid waste in the drains also continues causing blockage,” the report notes.
Now wonder then, that these drains are being cleared currently in the Karkari More area of east Delhi as the city braces up for another monsoon.