To provide better landscape and green areas in the city, a few of the major drains are being covered. The move will allow authorities to make walkways, parks and roads, even as environmentalists claim that covering of drains will lead to choking and other heath issues. According to Delhi Development Authority, the drains in Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony will be covered by March 2012. A portion of Palam drain is also being covered to allow more road space to decongest Dabri bridge and Pankha road crossing. This work will be completed by August 2013. DDA said the residents of Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony had requested that the drains in the area be covered and converted to green areas. The cost of covering Lajpat Nagar drain is Rs 29 crore, and that of Defence Colony is approximately Rs 54 crore. “Walkways and green areas are being made after covering both the drains. This will help provide connectivity within the colony. In Lajpat Nagar, the work was supposed to be complete by August 2011, but the permission to cut trees did not come in on time from the Forest department. The onset of monsoons and Commonwealth Games thereafter led to further delays,’’ said a DDA official. The work of covering Defence Colony drain has also been delayed. While a portion of Palam-Sitapuri drain has already been covered, increasing bottlenecks in the surrounding areas has led the DDA to cover the drain between the railway line near Delhi Cantt and Dabri bridge. “The traffic load coming from Dwarka will be divided between the road leading to Janakpuri and the proposed road over Sitapuri drain, making traffic flow smooth. This proposed road over Sitapuri drain will also provide proper approach road to isolated pockets 11 and 12 and will help connect these pockets to Dwarka sub-city,’’ said Neemo Dhar, DDA spokesperson. Meanwhile, even as officials claim that sufficient planning has been done to ensure proper cleaning of these drains, urban planners said covering the drains could lead to problems during monsoons. “We have made manholes along these drains so that they can be cleaned properly by labourers and machines,’’ said a DDA official. The urban planners, however, said the city’s drainage system is more than 50 years old and is already struggling to cope with present load. “The L-G’s office had come out with an order in 2010 against covering of drains. It had been suggested that the major drains be landscaped and used to provide non-motorised connectivity between colonies, so that proper cleanliness could be ensured,’’ said a source. “Covering of drains will not only reduce the capacity of drains, which may lead to floods, but could also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes once the water level recedes,’’ said K T Ravindran, urban designer. Last monsoons, Barapullah Nalluh had been choked due to dumping of debris. This had led to massive waterlogging in the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, MCD is also planning to cover drains along Africa Avenue, Gokulpuri and the drain running along BRT at Chirag Delhi.