Pankaj Jain
New Delhi, Jan 12 (UNI) NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Monday said that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is adopting a Smart Irrigation System to promote water conservation and improve green infrastructure across the NDMC area.
Under the initiative, modern, automated and mechanised irrigation systems will be implemented in parks, gardens and green belts to ensure that water is used strictly as per actual requirement and at identified locations.
Chahal said the system will help reduce water wastage and waterlogging, improve plant health, optimise manpower deployment and significantly cut operational costs.
He informed that in the first phase, smart irrigation systems are proposed along 11 major roads covering a total length of about 19.28 km for horticulture purposes. These include areas around Nehru Park, Peshwa Road, Mandir Marg, R.K. Ashram Marg, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Shanti Path, Panchsheel Marg, Ashoka Road, C-Hexagon, Aurobindo Marg and Akbar Road.
Chahal said the project will also reduce the movement of water tankers, thereby helping in lowering air pollution. Tenders for Phase-I have already been invited and are scheduled to be opened on January 23 and 27, 2026.
The work is proposed to be awarded before March 2026, with a completion period of six months to one year depending on the length of the road. The estimated cost of this phase is Rs. 15.94 crore.
He further said that after the successful completion of Phase-I, the project will be expanded during 2026–27 to cover 11 additional main roads and five major gardens, with a total length of approximately 19.61 km. The proposed roads include Maharishi Raman Marg, Lodhi Estate Lanes, Max Mueller Marg, Subramania Bharti Marg, San Martin Marg, Jesus and Mary Road, Manas Marg, Madhu Limaye Marg, Satya Marg, Chandragupt Marg and Niti Marg.
The gardens include Covered Nallah Park behind Satya Sadan, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Sanjay Lake Park and the Children’s Park at Madhu Limaye Marg. The estimated cost of this phase is around Rs. 16 crore.
Chahal said that NDMC is already using recycled water generated from Decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants (DSTPs) for irrigation, reducing dependence on potable water. At present, 12 DSTPs are operational in the NDMC area, supplying treated water for irrigation in parks and green spaces.
He added that NDMC has proposed the construction, operation and maintenance of five new D-STPs with a total capacity of 2,250 KLD at Bapu Dham Housing Complex, the Horticulture Nursery opposite INA Metro Station, the island at the intersection of Rajendra Prasad Road and Ashoka Road, Bharti Nagar Sewerage Pumping Station and Nehru Park.
The Request for Proposal has been issued with a submission deadline of January 19, 2026. The work is likely to be awarded by March 2026 and commissioned by November 2026 at an estimated cost of Rs. 57 crore.
In addition, NDMC has proposed eight more D-STPs under the PPP model at Rose Garden Shanti Path, Kautilya Marg roundabout Shanti Path, Race Course Nursery behind Tamil Nadu Bhawan, Sanjay Lake Park, Q-Point near the Taxi Stand near Sangli Mess, Lodhi Garden and Talkatora Garden, with an estimated cost of about Rs. 150 crore.
Chahal also said that NDMC is set to consider and approve several major projects for the rehabilitation of the old and dilapidated sewerage system of New Delhi in its forthcoming Council meeting.
These include rehabilitation of the old twin-barrel 2100 mm diameter sewer from C-Hexagon to Lodhi Road in two parts at an estimated cost of about Rs. 77 crore each. Cleaning and rehabilitation of a 450 mm sewer from Sardar Patel Marg to Shanti Path via Panchsheel Marg using CIPP technology at a cost of around Rs. 8 crore. Rehabilitation of the 1100-1200 mm sewer on Ashoka Road from Nirvachan Sadan to C-Hexagon at a cost of about Rs.19 crore and rehabilitation of the brick barrel sewer from Kushak Nallah to Aurobindo Marg at an estimated cost of Rs. 23 crore.
He said these projects are crucial for the Lutyens’ Delhi area, where the sewerage infrastructure is several decades old, and will significantly improve efficiency, sustainability and service delivery.
