Delhi agencies directed to advance Abul Fazal drain works and sewer plans for 25 industrial areas amid waterlogging and sewage concerns

These connected proceedings concern drainage, sewage treatment and redevelopment of industrial areas in Delhi.

By an earlier order dated 24 August 2026, the Court had issued directions concerning the Abul Fazal Drain, sewage treatment plants (STPs), and planning for 25 non-conforming areas

On 25 September 2026, the Court considered status reports and submissions from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC), and the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD)

1. Whether the works required to augment and make the Abul Fazal Drain safer, including construction of a separator wall, desilting and cleaning, were progressing in accordance with the Court’s earlier directions

2. Whether DJB had taken steps to upgrade STPs and convey or beneficially reuse treated effluent, and what further reporting was required

3. Whether the Samaypur Badli area could be demarcated by reference to the relevant DDA planning documents, and how redevelopment plans for the 25 non-conforming areas should proceed under MPD-2047

The order does not cite or apply a specific statute, regulation or precedent. It proceeds through the Court’s continuing directions in these public-interest proceedings and requires the authorities to coordinate, report progress and take practical steps to address drainage, sewage and infrastructure deficiencies.

In considering redevelopment, the Court treated MPD-2047 as the applicable planning framework, while recognising that existing development and site constraints required a pragmatic approach to providing sewer lines and storm-water drains

The Court assessed the authorities’ reported progress against its earlier directions.

It noted that the Abul Fazal Drain augmentation work had commenced, with a stated completion deadline of 21 June 2027, and that MCD’s separator-wall work had begun, with completion expected by 15 December 2026

It required continued desilting and cleaning, and a joint proposal on partially covering the drain

On STPs, DJB reported existing treatment capacity, upgrades in progress and several treated-effluent conveyance and reuse initiatives; the Court required an updated status report rather than making a final determination on those measures

For Samaypur Badli, it resolved the uncertainty about the documents governing demarcation by specifying three DDA records to be considered

For the wider redevelopment plans, it recognised that existing construction and limited available space constrained ideal road layouts, but held that those constraints did not remove the need for sewer lines and storm-water drains; it directed the authorities and planning agencies to review the plans under MPD-2047

The SDM, Rohini, was directed to demarcate Samaypur Badli using the 2001 DDA layout plan, the approved Zonal Development Plan of 8 March 2010 (including the green-strip directions), and the Ministry of Urban Development notification of 19 July 2012, and to report by the next hearing

DDA, MCD, DSIIDC and the three planning agencies were directed to meet on 12 October 2026 to examine the redevelopment plans under MPD-2047; MCD was to assess the plans and report any matters requiring Court intervention

The Court also directed further progress reports on the drain works and STPs, continued drain maintenance, and a joint proposal for partial drain covering.

The matters were listed for 4 December 2026.