Clogged drains across Gurugram raise flooding fears ahead of monsoon

Residents flagged garbage, sewage and silt choking stormwater networks as civic agencies race to complete desilting work before rains.

With less than a month remaining before the onset of monsoon, several stormwater drains across Gurugram remain clogged with garbage, plastic waste, sewage and accumulated silt, raising fears of severe waterlogging and urban flooding during heavy rainfall, residents and officials said.

Officials identified multiple vulnerable waterlogging points as overflowing drains and illegal dumping continue across city stretches. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

During visits by HT to multiple locations on Wednesday, including stretches along the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, service roads, internal sector roads and market areas, several drains were found choked with waste and untreated sewage. In many places, drains were overflowing with garbage while thick layers of silt and debris had reduced water-carrying capacity.

Residents alleged that despite repeated complaints before every monsoon season, large sections of the city’s drainage network continue to remain poorly maintained. “The condition of drains is alarming. Plastic waste, sewage and silt have completely blocked water flow in many places. “ During every monsoon, roads turn into rivers, and commuters suffer for hours,” said Amit Jindal, Vipul Greens, Sector 48, RWA president.

Silted stormwater drain along the NH-48 in Gurugram, as seen on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Civic officials admitted that drains along highways and expressway stretches are among the worst affected due to continuous dumping of garbage and sewage by locals and commercial establishments.

The situation remains particularly concerning along the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway and adjoining service lanes, where clogged drains and encroachments have repeatedly caused severe flooding during previous monsoons, officials said. They added that silt accumulation and illegal dumping continue to hamper the uninterrupted flow of rainwater.

Silted stormwater drain along near Hero Honda Chowk, as seen on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Municipal Corporation Gurugram officials, however, maintained that desilting and cleaning work is underway across the city. “Cleaning of stormwater drains is being carried out on priority across Gurugram. “ Around 70 to 80 per cent of desilting work has already been completed in several areas, and teams are continuously working to clear remaining stretches before the monsoon,” said chief engineer Vijay Dhaka, MCG.

Officials said multiple agencies, including Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), are responsible for maintaining different portions of the drainage network, and special monitoring is being carried out at identified vulnerable points.

Environmental activist Vaishali Rana said the recurring crisis reflects years of poor monitoring and lack of accountability. “Unless authorities ensure regular cleaning, strict monitoring and penal action against illegal dumping into drains, Gurugram will continue witnessing severe waterlogging and urban flooding year after year,” she said.