Delhi Cabinet Approves Multi-Utility Ducts to Curb Repeated Road Digging
The Delhi Cabinet has approved a proposal to build multi-utility ducts (MUDs) across the city, creating shared underground corridors for various essential services to make the capital safer and future-ready, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
According to the CMO statement, these specialized ducts will be constructed at suitable locations across Delhi. They will be used to house electrical cables, water pipelines, gas lines, fire hydrant networks, and other essential utility services under a single coordinated network.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that in a rapidly developing metropolis like Delhi, repeated excavation of roads by different utility agencies according to their individual requirements is a serious urban problem that has posed major challenges across the expanding city.
“With shared underground routes available for different services through multi-utility ducts, the need to repeatedly dig up and repair roads would be significantly reduced. This would minimise traffic disruptions, reduce inconvenience to citizens and help maintain the structural strength of roads more effectively,” Ms. Gupta said.
The Delhi government stated that establishing shared underground routes will curb frequent traffic disruptions and alleviate inconvenience for citizens. In addition, housing essential networks within common corridors will help maintain the structural integrity and strength of city roads far more effectively over the long term.
The administration also highlighted that the multi-utility duct system will reduce the possibility of accidental damage to crucial utility lines that frequently occurs during digging and excavation works. At the same time, it will significantly improve coordination among various civic bodies and utility agencies.
Ms. Gupta explained that the system will enable better coordination among different agencies and create a more organised framework for developing underground utility networks in Delhi. With shared underground corridors available, the ongoing maintenance of utility networks and their future expansion will become substantially faster and easier.
“We want to create infrastructure that is safe, well-organised and sustainable, keeping future requirements in mind. The multi-utility duct is part of this vision,” Ms. Gupta said, adding that the framework aims to ensure long-term road safety and sustainable infrastructure across Delhi.
