Gurugram told to fix drains, prep anti-flood measures ahead of monsoon

Local body chief flags waterlogging risk, calls for temporary fixes if projects lag; urban challenge fund to back infra, officials review key schemes

The Haryana Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department on Wednesday directed officials to take urgent and coordinated steps to prevent waterlogging across Gurugram ahead of the upcoming monsoon, officials said.

ULB chief chairs review meet, directs drain repairs, desilting and PPP-based urban solutions; rainwater harvesting and monthly monitoring also pushed (HT)

The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting in Gurugram chaired by ULB commissioner and secretary Ashok Kumar Meena. Officials told HT that Meena directed departments to complete cleaning and repair of all master drains, surface drains and sewerage networks before the onset of monsoon.

“Waterlogging during monsoon is a serious concern and must be addressed. In case, long-term infrastructure projects cannot be completed on time, temporary alternative arrangements should be made so that drainage is not disrupted,” Meena said.

He also instructed departments to identify public spaces suitable for installing rainwater harvesting systems. “He said such measures would also improve groundwater recharge levels in the region along with reducing waterlogging,” officials present in the meeting said.

During the meeting, officials were directed to prioritise desilting of channels, lowering of green belts, and deepening of ponds. Regular lifting of horticulture waste was also flagged as essential to prevent clogging of drains, officials said.

Meena said Gurugram and Faridabad have been selected under the urban challenge fund, under which 25% funding will be provided by the Centre, 25% by the state government, and the remaining 50% will be mobilised through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. He urged civic bodies to propose innovative urban solutions for waterlogging and related issues under the scheme.

Dahiya highlighted several initiatives undertaken by MCG, including a unified smart city portal, a water and sewerage connection portal, an inspection app, and a sanitation app.

According to officials, review meetings will now be held monthly to ensure continuous monitoring and timely execution of development works. The meeting was also attended by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) chief executive officer PC Meena, Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata, and Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) administrator Vaishali Singh, among others.