Creeks in Aravallis will be cleaned to prevent waterlogging on Golf Course Road: MCG

Four natural creeks in the Aravallis that serve as a vital catchment area for recharging groundwater table, water run-off from which causes waterlogging on Golf Course Road, will be cleaned on priority, officials said on Tuesday.

Four natural creeks in the Aravallis that serve as a vital catchment area for recharging groundwater table, water run-off from which causes waterlogging on Golf Course Road, will be cleaned on priority, officials said on Tuesday.

The creeks serve as a natural groundwater recharge source. (HT Archive)

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja issued a directive to the civic body’s joint commissioners during a review meeting of civic issues, including flood preparedness, held at the MCG’s Sector 34 office on Tuesday.

The four creeks are located close to Golf Course Road, at sectors 26, 42, 54, and 56. The run-off rainwater from these creeks was identified as one of the primary reasons for waterlogging on the seven-kilometre Golf Course Road during last year’s monsoon, in August.

As per MCG and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) joint drainage plan, work on cleaning of drains was allocated in October last year, and around 60% of the work has been completed. The pending work was hampered due to encroachments, the report states.

“Work on cleaning of the four creeks as well as clearing encroachments on them is going on. In the meeting, I directed the joint commissioners concerned to inspect the work on the ground and expedite it on priority,” said Ahuja.

“The main objective is to ensure that there is no blockage in the creeks. Besides the prevention of flooding on Golf Course Road, we want to ensure that maximum amount of rainwater can be used for groundwater recharge while the excess can be naturally channelled towards the nearest water body or natural drain,” he said.

On August 19 and 20 last year, the city received over 196mm of rainfall, following which the Golf Course Road was inundated, with rainwater accumulation as high as 0.5 metres above the surface level at several points on the stretch.

Last November, TERI School of Advanced Studies, in a hydrogeological study of the area, done at the behest of IAmGurgaon NGO, highlighted that cleaning of these creeks is the main measure for recharging groundwater table in the Aravallis and for checking waterlogging on the Golf Course Road. They had also recommended to the GMDA and MCG to avoid concretising the creeks in any manner, as it would hinder the rainwater from seeping underground.

Ritu Rao, a PhD scholar at the TERI School of Advanced Studies, who specialises and works on urban water bodies, said that the clearing and cleaning of creeks is a vital move as it will help in groundwater recharge.

“The four creeks are existing rainwater channels and hence, their revival is one of the important steps to avoid flooding in Gurugram and in recharging the groundwater table. It will significantly reduce the run-off rainwater flowing downstream. The creeks would serve as a catchment area for rainwater to seep underground while the excess would flow towards the Ghata Jheel, Badshahpur drain, and eventually, empty at the Najafgarh Jheel instead of flowing to other parts of the city and causing flooding,” said Rao, adding that the MCG should ensure that there is no further encroachment of the creeks and construction and demolition (C&D) waste is not dumped in the area.