Master drains in Gurgaon desilted, work on waterlogging hotspots ahead of monsoon

With the monsoon approaching, civic authorities in Gurgaon are scrambling to finish work to address waterlogging.

In an effort to ensure faster evacuation of accumulated rainwater, the GMDA said it has successfully restored the carrying capacity of its major stormwater channels: Leg 1, Leg 2, and the Badshahpur Drain or the Leg 3, by removing silt, mud, and debris.

GMDA Chief Executive Officer P C Meena said that the 12.36-km Leg 1 drain with a capacity of 541 cusecs caters to commercial and residential areas, including Cyber Hub, Udyog Vihar, DLF Phases 1, 2, and 3, and Palam Vihar. The 16.3-km Leg 2 drain with a capacity of 1,305 cusecs serves Sectors 27, 29, 41, and Sheetla Mata Road before discharging into Najafgarh Drain. The 26-km Badshahpur Drain, with a capacity of 3,800 cusecs, has also been fully desilted to evacuate run-off from the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Hero Honda Chowk, and adjoining sectors, he added.

To address waterlogging issues reported in the past along the NH-48, the GMDA has constructed a 4.6-km RCC box drain, designated as Leg 4. Running from Vatika Chowk on the SPR to Ramprastha society near the Dwarka Expressway, this new channel merges into Leg 3 just before the railway line and will serve Sectors 68 to 80. Additionally, the authority has rejuvenated natural Aravalli creeks and built check dams in hill depressions to redirect run-off and recharge groundwater, officials said.

Meanwhile, the MCG’s Monsoon Management Cell (MMC), under the direction of Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, is targeting 155 localised bottlenecks. Short-term and long-term measures, including RCC drain construction and deep desilting, are being undertaken.

As on Tuesday, progress reviews indicate a zone-wise status.

In Zones 1 and 2, at 16 out of 36 hotspots, issues have been resolved. Stormwater and sewerage works are complete in Sector-10A, Gandhi Nagar Booster, and Begumpur Khatola, while desilting in Fazilpur remains ongoing.

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In Zones 3 and 4, out of 33 hotspots, including 15 hypercritical sites, issues were resolved at 16. To fortify drainage, a 600-mm sewer line is proposed on Laxman Vihar’s main Railway Road. A 600-mm line at Dhanwapur’s Bikaner Chowk is 70% complete, and a new sewer and a stormwater line from Ram Mandir to Mother Dairy road near Sector-4 have been constructed.

In Zones 5 to 8, 86 hotspots were identified. Status breakdowns show issues have been resolved at 13 out of 29 sites in Zone 5; 8 out of 22 in Zone 6 (via non-DPR civil works); 11 out of 21 in Zone 7; and 6 out of 14 in Zone 8. Work at remaining hypercritical locations is underway.

Both agencies have also readied emergency protocols for the monsoon. Dahiya has issued strict directives to engineers, saying approach roads to sensitive locations, such as schools, hospitals, and crematoriums, must remain water-free.

The MCG is actively strengthening its resource-mapping, pumping arrangements, and field monitoring, officials said. Meanwhile, the GMDA is installing emergency pump sets and back-up generators, besides making distinct arrangements for earthmovers to clear blockages. Further, the GMDA is cleaning roadside surface drains and has constructed additional road gullies to evacuate surface run-off from thoroughfares faster.

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“The objective is to ensure that residents are provided with safe, smooth, and better urban facilities by completing work at all identified hotspots in a time-bound manner,” Dahiya stated.