Gurugram admin gives officials a timeline to resolve waterlogging issue

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said his team along with Union minister and Gurugram Member of Parliament (MP) Rao Inderjit Singh took stock of waterlogging issues and visited major spots across the city on Thursday

The district administration along with civic agencies have identified 112 waterlogging spots across Gurugram, officials said on Thursday.

A cyclist wade through a waterlogged road in Narsinghpur village in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/ HT)

Officials received waterlogging complaints from at least 20 spots in Old Gurugram such as Pataudi Chowk, sectors 22, 23, Palam Vihar, Sector 10A and Hero Honda Chowk after Wednesday morning’s downpour.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said his team along with Union minister and Gurugram Member of Parliament (MP) Rao Inderjit Singh took stock of waterlogging issues and visited major spots across the city on Thursday.

“We have identified 112 spots across the city from where waterlogging has been reported. We have planned to deploy 20 administrative officials and each of them will be responsible for five spots each and will ensure there is no waterlogging. Each official will be assisted by a junior engineer from the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) or the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG),” Yadav said.

Waterlogging is a major problem in Gurugram during the rainy season, with arterial roads, underpasses and highways getting submerged for hours, severely affecting vehicular movement.

Yadav said that some of these roads include the service lane in Narsinghpur along the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, Mini Secretariat, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Road and Sheetla Mata Road.

Yadav said that despite all possible measures, the waterlogging issue is still persistent, especially in Narsinghpur on National Highway (NH-48) and Hero Honda Chowk. “Machinery used for pumping out water will be enhanced, and budgets will be allocated for the same,” he said.

Meanwhile, MCG and GMDA teams have been directed to complete the work of cleaning stormwater drains by the end of this month, officials said.

MCG commissioner PC Meena on Thursday called a meeting of officials and executive engineers and reviewed the situation. He directed officials to ensure drains are cleaned before the advent of the monsoon in about a fortnight’s time.

“We have given directions to get all drains cleaned at the earliest. Officials have been told to deploy adequate manpower and machinery during the rainy season and to ensure the lifting of garbage and debris lying on the stretches that block the drains and sewers,” Meena said.

Meena further said, “We have also instructed officials to clean natural creeks in the Aravallis that serve as a vital catchment area for recharging groundwater table on a priority basis”.

The civic agencies were also directed to take prompt action on each and every complaint and to keep tow-away vehicles, ropes and manpower ready at all the major waterlogging spots, said officials

Yadav said a pumping station will be set up at Central Peripheral Road to curb waterlogging in Narsinghpur and nearby areas.