Delhi High Court pulls up NHAI, DIAL over waterlogging in Aerocity

The regular waterlogging in Mahipalpur area as also the traffic congestion in the said area needs to be resolved by the NHAI and Delhi International Airport Limited on a speedy basis, the Delhi High Court said.

3 min readNew DelhiSep 18, 2026 08:53 PM IST

"The development in the Aerocity area and the national highway, which has led to this situation of waterlogging in Mahipalpur area, ought to have evoked a serious response from the agencies," the Delhi high court said. (Express file photo)

The Delhi High Court on Friday pulled up the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport, for its “callous” attitude in not resolving the waterlogging issues in the upscale Aerocity area. The court has warned of “stringent” action if the agencies fail to resolve the issue.

A division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora was hearing a petition by a civil rights group, Social Jurist, seeking that a functional storm water drainage system be constructed along the National Highway-48 stretch between Mahipalpur and Rangpuri village.

“The development in the Aerocity area and the national highway, which has led to this situation of waterlogging in Mahipalpur area, ought to have evoked a serious response from the agencies,” the High Court observed.

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Even as a joint stakeholders’ meeting held earlier following the court orders in this regard was attended by representatives from NHAI, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, Public Works Department, and the Delhi Jal Board, the High Court on Friday noted that “no responsibility has been fixed as to which job is to be undertaken by which agency”.

“They have to do it for the people there. The cars have been submerged. (if you) don’t resolve it, we will not hesitate (to stop construction). If you don’t sort it out, there will be stringent action,” the High Court further warned, adding, “If they do not take steps and come forward to the court, we will stop construction. Be clear about it. If they want to shirk it, then we will stop construction in Aerocity. We will not hesitate.”

“The callous approach of the NHAI is not appreciated as much as there is no official present before the Court and neither is the counsel prepared to make any substantial submission,” the High Court underlined.

Directing the Delhi Chief Secretary to hold further meetings, as well as fix responsibilities on each agency concerned, the High Court said, “The regular waterlogging in Mahipalpur area as also the traffic congestion in the said area needs to be resolved by the NHAI and Delhi International Airport Limited on a speedy basis with proper proposal, failing which the court will be constrained to pass some stringent directions.”

The court will hear the matter next on October 30.

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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