Rs 250 Crore Per Km: Congress MP Brijendra Singh Questions Dwarka Expressway After Delhi Rains

Congress MP Brijendra Singh has criticised the Narendra Modi government after he was caught in heavy waterlogging inside a tunnel on the Dwarka Expressway during intense rainfall in Delhi-NCR. Singh shared a video from the spot and said he had been stuck for nearly an hour as rainwater accumulated inside the tunnel. Taking aim at the government, Singh questioned how an expressway associated with a construction cost of around ₹250 crore per kilometre could face severe waterlogging during heavy rain. His remarks have renewed the political debate over the cost, construction and performance of the Dwarka Expressway, one of the major infrastructure projects connecting Delhi with Gurugram.

The Congress leader also referred to the governments earlier promotion of the expressway as a major improvement in connectivity between Delhi and Haryana. The incident, he suggested, raised questions about whether expensive road infrastructure is adequately prepared to deal with heavy monsoon conditions. The Dwarka Expressway has faced scrutiny over its cost in the past. A 2023 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India highlighted a civil construction cost of about ₹250.77 crore per kilometre for the 29.06-km project. The report compared this figure with the normative average of around ₹18.20 crore per kilometre under the Bharatmala programme. However, the Union government later disputed the interpretation of the figures, saying the ₹18.20 crore figure was a normative average and not a project-specific construction estimate.

The government also pointed to the complex design of the expressway, which includes elevated stretches, tunnels, bridges and other structures, as factors that affect construction costs. Therefore, the ₹250-crore-per-kilometre figure has been a subject of political and administrative debate rather than being, by itself, proof of wrongdoing.

The latest controversy emerged as heavy rainfall disrupted normal life across several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region. Waterlogging was reported on major roads, while traffic movement was affected in Delhi as well as Gurugram. Several areas around Gurugram, including major commercial and residential corridors, also experienced significant water accumulation.

The rainfall has once again highlighted concerns over drainage capacity and urban infrastructure in the Delhi-NCR region. For large road projects, the ability to manage rainwater is particularly important because waterlogging inside tunnels and underpasses can quickly create traffic bottlenecks and safety risks. The Dwarka Expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 and was presented as a major step towards improving connectivity between Delhi and Gurugram. The project was designed to provide an alternative route for commuters and reduce pressure on existing roads.

Singhs latest criticism has now brought renewed attention to both the cost and performance of the expressway. While waterlogging during an exceptionally heavy downpour does not by itself establish that the project was improperly constructed, the incident has raised questions about drainage arrangements, maintenance and the preparedness of major infrastructure for extreme weather events. As Delhi-NCR continues to face increasingly disruptive episodes of heavy rainfall, the episode has also revived a larger question for policymakers: whether new infrastructure is being designed not only for faster travel during normal conditions but also for resilience during severe weather.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.