Master stormwater drain network to be revamped to prevent waterlogging

Thirty-five years since the construction of a master stormwater drain in the city, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has decided to renovate the existing infrastructure, which spans from Rezang La Chowk to Palam Vihar, to curb waterlogging ahead of the next monsoon season

Thirty-five years since the construction of a master stormwater drain in the city, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has decided to renovate the existing infrastructure, which spans from Rezang La Chowk to Palam Vihar, to curb waterlogging ahead of the next monsoon season, officials said on Thursday.

The master stormwater drain starts from Sikanderpur and terminates in Najafgarh drain, passing through sectors 18, 19, Old Delhi Road, sectors 22, 23A, Palam Vihar, railway culvert number 47, Bajghera village and Sector 115. (HT Archive)

In this project, the Leg 1 of the master stormwater drain network will be renovated. Gurugram’s stormwater master drain network is divided into Leg 1, Leg 2 and Leg 3 or the Badshahpur drain, all of which finally flow into the Najafgarh drain.

The authority will also carve out 12 rainwater harvesting pits along the drain, as part of the project. The renovation work for the drain is likely to start in the second half of November, before which citizens can share their opinions and comments about the project on GMDA’s website.

The master stormwater drain starts from Sikanderpur and terminates in Najafgarh drain, passing through sectors 18, 19, Old Delhi Road, sectors 22, 23A, Palam Vihar, railway culvert number 47, Bajghera village and Sector 115. This drain was constructed with brick masonry walls and was covered with a slab approximately 35 years ago on the stretch between Old Delhi Road to railway culvert number 47.

“Being old and gaseous effect of flowing regular sewage, slab and wall is collapsing upon itself due to its self-load and wall mortar joints are weakening at various spots in Sector 22 and Palam Vihar. Rapid urbanisation has resulted in increase of discharge in the drain in rainy season. The width of the drain is 4.25 metres before Old Delhi Road and thereafter, on downstream side, it reduces to 2.1 metres and 3.25 metres, which results in overflowing of the drain during heavy rainfall. Due to these issues, the drain will be reconstructed as a reinforced cement concrete box drain,” the executive engineer from the infrastructure-II division of GMDA, who is handling the project, said.

He said that as all rainwater does not get drained out, 12 rainwater harvesting pits have also been proposed along the drain for conservation of stormwater overflow.

The project cost is estimated to cost around ₹15 crore and will be taken up in two phases. As part of the first phase, a drain will be constructed from Rezang La Chowk to railway culvert number 47, while the second phase will consist of the construction of a drain from the Old Delhi Road culvert to Rezang La Chowk, officials said.