 "Delhi rains: Is new Parliament leaking?")
Heavy rains poured on parts of Delhi and its neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday evening, causing severe waterlogging and traffic disruptions in the city.
Not spared also was the newly constructed Parliament building.
Following the incessant downpour, videos showed water leaking into the lobby and waterlogging in front of the structure.
The new building, which cost Rs 971 crore to construct, has come under scrutiny for its ability to withstand extreme weather.
The water leak
Just one year after it was constructed, videos of the new Parliament building with water leaking from the ceiling are making the rounds on social media.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore posted a video of the water leak while referring to the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG medical entrance exam paper leak.
He said, “Paper leakage outside, water leakage inside. The recent water leakage in the Parliament lobby used by the President highlights urgent weather resilience issues in the new building, just a year after completion. Moving adjournment motion on this issue in Lok Sabha.”
Firstpost couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Paper leakage outside,
— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) August 1, 2024
water leakage inside. The recent water leakage in the Parliament lobby used by the President highlights urgent weather resilience issues in the new building, just a year after completion.
Moving Adjournment motion on this issue in Loksabha. #Parliament pic.twitter.com/kNFJ9Ld21d
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFurthermore, waterlogging was found across the building, especially close to Mukar Dwar, the New Parliament.
BIG BREAKING 🚨⚡
— Ankit Mayank (@mr_mayank) July 31, 2024
Massive waterlogging in the new Parliament building made by Modi Govt for over ₹1,250 CRORES
What an absolute fraud on taxpayers’ money 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/y6qX4kqBTd
Tagore proposed setting up a special committee to conduct a thorough inspection of the structure, with MPs from all parties participating.
He stated that the committee would look into the origins of the leaks, assess the materials and design, suggest any necessary repairs, set up a maintenance schedule, and guarantee transparency by disclosing its findings to the public.
When our ‘new’ parliament building is water-logged, what chance do we the citizens have? Frankly, the haste with which the new building was constructed, singularly unaesthetic and with no character , while the wonderfully distinctive and charming old parliament building and… pic.twitter.com/vlmQ6W6BoW
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 1, 2024
The scheduled parliamentary sessions were not affected by the disruption created by the leak.
Thursday’s agenda featured two things: Union Minister Amit Shah would introduce a bill to modify the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in both Houses of Parliament, and Nirmala Sitharaman would move the statutory resolution pertaining to Section 8A of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, according to Business Standard.
Parliament’s monsoon session began on July 22 and is expected to end on August 12.
Also read: Modi leads MPs to new Parliament building: How is it different from the old one?
Criticism
Soon after the video started making the rounds of the internet, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the BJP on Thursday, saying the old Parliament was “better” than the new one.
He said, “The old parliament was better than this new parliament, where even the old MPs could come and meet. Why not go back to the old parliament, at least till the time the water dripping program is going on in the parliament built with billions of rupees.”
“People are asking whether water dripping from every new roof constructed under the BJP government is a part of their well thought out design,” he added.
इस नई संसद से अच्छी तो वो पुरानी संसद थी, जहाँ पुराने सांसद भी आकर मिल सकते थे। क्यों न फिर से पुरानी संसद चलें, कम-से-कम तब तक के लिए, जब तक अरबों रुपयों से बनी संसद में पानी टपकने का कार्यक्रम चल रहा है।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 1, 2024
जनता पूछ रही है कि भाजपा सरकार में बनी हर नई छत से पानी टपकना, उनकी… pic.twitter.com/PpJ36k6RJm
Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra mocked the BJP over the video, drawing a comparison between the leak and the party’s “shaky” election performance.
For the uninitiated, the ruling party in the April–June general elections claimed a historic third term, albeit with the backing of its coalition partners, having failed to secure the 32 seats necessary for an absolute majority.
New parliament lobby is leaking water. Given the building is a monstrous edifice to @narendramodi ‘s ego it is only fitting that it has got shaky post 2024 lok sabha results. Bharat Mandapam leaks another case in point. pic.twitter.com/3WUO0xokzr
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 1, 2024
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of the National Capital stated, “Parliament built at cost of Rs 1,200 crore is now dependent on a bucket of Rs 120.”
The AAP and the BJP have been at odds over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in the excise policy case for a long time.
The government has not yet responded to the video or the barbs from the opposition.
₹1200 करोड़ से बनकर तैयार हुई संसद को अब ₹120 की बाल्टी का ही सहारा है ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/kKlJTEK81N
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) August 1, 2024
A netizen tweeted, “The new Parliament that took 971 crores to be ready started leaking after a day’s rain. Unfortunately, they can’t even blame Nehru for this.”
Another one quipped, “New Parliament building made at the cost of Rs 1000 crores. Your taxes are being used well.”
“The new Parliament building even has a rainwater harvesting facility. Direct from clouds to bucket. Simply brilliant,” fourth one shared.
Also read: Kerala, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal: How rain fury is wreaking havoc across India
The new Parliament building
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020, and it was inaugurated on May 28, 2023.
With a projected lifespan of more than 150 years, the new Parliament building is meant to be earthquake-resistant, efficient, and modern while incorporating a variety of Indian styles of architecture.
The project, which had architect Bimal Patel and was overseen by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd, is reported to have cost Rs 971 crore and covered 64,500 square metres.
The new Parliament building was built by Tata Projects Ltd. and features a large Constitution Hall to highlight India’s democratic history, a library, a lounge for MPs, numerous committee rooms, dining facilities and sufficient parking. The materials used for the building came from various parts of the country.
Part of the government’s wider Central Vista redevelopment project, the four-storey building houses the two chambers of the legislature: the 384-seat Rajya Sabha and the 888-seat Lok Sabha, which can host a joint sitting of both Houses with 1,272 members.
In September 2023, the historic women’s reservation law was approved in this very building.
Notably, the older building — a 93-year-old construction with limited space and structural stability issues — caused concerns about stability in the early 2010s, which led to proposals for a new building.
Other structural issues
Since its opening, the new Parliament building has encountered a number of problems.
Technical issues hampered the special session of Parliament held in the new structure.
These included issues with the earphones and microphones given to MPs and an acoustics system that caused echoes in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers, according to Business Standard.
The new Parliament building was severely restricted from admission during its first session due to the lack of activation of the biometric and barcode security system.
Leaks in other newly built structures
The new Parliament leak comes days after reports of water leaking from the roof of the inner chambers of the grand Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, which was consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a major ceremony in January this year, just months before the general election.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest, also voiced concerns about inadequate drainage, according to NDTV.
Administrative staff at the temple, however, denied this allegation, stating that during second-floor construction, rainwater had trickled downpipes that were “fixed to install electric wires.”
In another incident, a video of a water leak from the roof of a Vande Bharat train moving from Delhi to Varanasi was recently posted by a passenger.
Northern Railway cited a “temporary blockage of pipes” for the leakage.
Delhi rains
A sudden and severe rainfall hit Delhi on Wednesday night, catching residents off guard. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a total of 147 millimetres in the eastern parts of Delhi and its suburbs.
On Thursday, there were still severe delays at places like Rajghat, Anuvrat Marg, and ITO.
At least nine people have died in rain-related incidents as heavy showers brought daily life to a standstill.
Two people suffered injuries when a house collapsed in Subzi Mandi, and cars sustained damage when a wall collapsed in Daryaganj.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a “red alert” warning on Wednesday after at least 10 flights to the National Capital were forced to divert due to heavy rain.
Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, urged officials to remain vigilant amid the heavy downpour.
According to the weather department, the rainy conditions are expected to continue till August 5. Besides Delhi, other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) have also experienced lightning, thunder, and light rain.
With inputs from agencies
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