GMDA to launch flood control room, underpass drills from May 15

Dedicated staff, pumps and machinery will be deployed while desilting and drainage cleaning work has been intensified across the city.

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) will set up a round-the-clock flood control room at its Sector 44 office and begin mock drills at 23 underpasses from May 15 as part of monsoon preparedness measures aimed at preventing waterlogging and managing flooding across the city.

Mock drills will test pumps, DG sets and drainage systems at underpasses maintained by NHAI, DLF and PWD agencies. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The flood control office will function throughout the monsoon period as a central coordination hub for monitoring rainfall-related situations, deployment of resources and addressing public grievances. The authority will also deploy manpower, machinery and pumps at critical locations to tackle flooding.

“The flood control office will have dedicated staff to hear complaints, get feedback and share information with the ground staff. We will be hiring manpower, machinery, tractor-mounted pumps and general mechanical pumps for dewatering at critical locations in the city,” said Vikram Singh, executive engineer, GMDA.

Singh said mobile tractor-mounted pump sets, suction tankers, DG sets and pumping machinery will be kept ready for deployment. He added that GMDA has intensified desilting and cleaning operations across the drainage network. “We also have a strong focus on regular cleaning and maintenance of drain inlets, road gullies and the drainage network to facilitate quick discharge of storm water from the master roads of Gurugram. Workers have been engaged to desilt the drains and remove debris and other obstructions which hamper water flow in the drains,” he said.

Detailed schedules have been prepared for mock drills at underpasses maintained by multiple agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), DLF Ltd and the Public Works Department. NHAI-maintained underpass drills begin May 15 at Ambience Mall, Subhash Chowk and Shankar Chowk, followed by IFFCO Chowk (May 18); Signature Tower and Vatika Chowk (May 19); Rajiv Chowk, Medanta Road and HUDA City Centre (May 20); Hero Honda Chowk and Genpact (May 21); Sector 110/113 and Sector 109/110 (May 26); Sector 102/104 (May 28); and Sector 84/36B (May 29).

DLF underpasses, including both U-turn underpasses in Cyber City, are scheduled for May 18, Sikanderpur for May 19 and DLF Phase I for May 20. PWD-maintained underpasses at Atul Kataria Chowk, Mahavir Chowk and Dhanwapur are scheduled for May 22, May 25 and May 18, respectively.

The functioning of pumping machinery, diesel generator sets, drainage systems and sump cleaning operations will be tested during the drills, with fire tenders deployed for filling and testing operations wherever required.