Delhi ministers ride e-bus to launch ₹43 crore PWD drainage project
Synopsis
Two Delhi ministers swapped their convoy for a single electric bus to inaugurate a ₹43 crore drainage project — a calculated optics moment that doubled as an on-route inspection of 20 sites. The BJP government is using the ride to spotlight a ₹56,000 crore city-wide drainage plan and a 50-year master blueprint, while pinning Delhi's waterlogging legacy on the previous AAP regime.
Key Takeaways
Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma and Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh travelled in an electric bus on 3 June to inaugurate a PWD drainage project.
The new project at Begumpur-Kanjhawala Chowk is worth around ₹43 crore .
Ministers inspected nearly 20 locations en route, flagging gaps to PWD officials.
The BJP government has prepared a 50-year Drainage Master Plan for Delhi.
A wider city drainage blueprint worth about ₹56,000 crore is being rolled out under CM Rekha Gupta .
The move was tied to PM Modi's appeal to save fuel amid the West Asia conflict-driven crude price surge.
Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma and Cabinet colleague Ravinder Indraj Singh on Wednesday, 3 June, travelled together in an electric bus to the inauguration of a new ₹43 crore PWD drainage project at Begumpur-Kanjhawala Chowk in northwest Delhi. The ministers said the joint commute — instead of the usual convoy of 20-25 vehicles — was intended to save fuel and curb vehicular emissions in the national capital.
Why the ministers chose an e-bus
Speaking to reporters, Verma said officials reached his residence around 8:30 am, and the decision was taken on the spot to travel together. ‘Instead of travelling in 20-25 vehicles, if we all went together in a single electric bus, it would save fuel and, as far as possible from our side, help reduce air pollution,' he said.
He linked the move to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier appeal urging citizens to conserve fuel amid a spike in global crude oil prices triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict. Verma added that the journey doubled as a working trip — ministers and engineers stepped off to inspect roughly 20 locations en route and flagged gaps to officials in real time.
'Government on Wheels' framing
Verma noted that the Delhi government had launched its ‘Government on Wheels' initiative about a year ago, positioning Wednesday's e-bus ride as an extension of the same on-site governance model. He argued the format compresses inspection, review and direction-setting into a single trip.
The ₹43 crore drainage push
Singh said the new project — worth around ₹43 crore — will serve unauthorised colonies that were regularised by the Centre but had never been fitted with a proper drainage network. ‘The previous governments, including the Kejriwal government, never paid attention to this issue,' he said, taking aim at the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation led by ex-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Verma said the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration had prepared a 50-year Drainage Master Plan mapping where drains are needed across Delhi, their required size and gradient. ‘When we came into office, we saw that many major roads in the city do not have drains,' he said, adding that execution had already begun.
The bigger ₹56,000 crore plan
Singh said that since the BJP government — led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta with Verma as PWD minister — took charge, a comprehensive city-wide drainage blueprint worth nearly ₹56,000 crore has been put on the table. The Begumpur-Kanjhawala project is being positioned as an early deliverable under that larger framework.
What's next
With monsoon approaching, the political stakes around Delhi's waterlogging history are high. The Gupta government is expected to fast-track drainage works in regularised colonies and along arterial roads through the coming weeks, even as opposition parties watch for delivery on the ₹56,000 crore commitment.
Point of View
High symbolism, and a neat way to frame the BJP's Delhi innings against the AAP's waterlogging baggage. But optics aside, the real test sits in the ₹56,000 crore drainage plan and whether the 50-year master blueprint translates into pre-monsoon delivery this very season. Delhi has heard ambitious drainage promises before; what's different here is the scale of the commitment and the political cost of failure with monsoon weeks away. Citizens will judge the government by water on the road, not buses on it.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new Delhi PWD drainage project at Begumpur-Kanjhawala?
It is a Public Works Department drainage project worth around ₹43 crore inaugurated on 3 June at Begumpur-Kanjhawala Chowk in northwest Delhi. It targets unauthorised colonies that were regularised by the Centre but lacked a formal drainage network.
Why did Delhi ministers Parvesh Verma and Ravinder Indraj Singh travel by electric bus?
They travelled together in a single electric bus instead of using 20-25 vehicles to save fuel and reduce air pollution. Minister Verma linked the decision to PM Narendra Modi's appeal to conserve fuel amid rising global crude prices driven by the West Asia conflict.
What is Delhi's 50-year Drainage Master Plan?
It is a long-term blueprint prepared by the BJP-led Delhi government mapping where drains are needed across the city, their required sizes and levels. Execution has already begun under PWD Minister Parvesh Verma.
How big is Delhi's overall drainage plan under CM Rekha Gupta?
The Delhi government has lined up a comprehensive city-wide drainage plan worth nearly ₹56,000 crore. It is being led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta along with PWD Minister Parvesh Verma.
What is the 'Government on Wheels' initiative?
It is a Delhi government initiative launched about a year ago that takes ministers and officials on the road for on-site governance and inspections. Wednesday's e-bus ride, during which ministers inspected around 20 locations, was framed as part of this model.
