Monsoon delay helps Gurugram authorities prepare for waterlogging

Officials of civic bodies and development authorities said that the delay in monsoon has helped them complete preventive measures to counter waterlogging on Golf Course Road, Sector4/9A stretch and the Narsinghpur to Khandsa road.

Officials of civic bodies and development authorities said that the delay in monsoon has helped them complete preventive measures to counter waterlogging on Golf Course Road, Sector4/9A stretch and the Narsinghpur to Khandsa road.

Waterlogging on NH-48 is a major concern. (Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)

The second wave of the coronavirus disease hit the city hard, due to which monsoon preparedness measures could start only by May-end, which is two months later than usual, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) said.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) initially predicting the arrival of the monsoon around June 12, officials of GMDA and MCG were scrambling to procure resources, such as motor pumps and suction machines, which are needed to tackle waterlogging across the city.

On Tuesday, the IMD issued a fresh update, stating that the monsoon is expected to hit the National Capital Region by July 10.

The four additional weeks, officials said, have allowed them to complete de-silting and drain augmenting measures across the city, including undertaking key works of widening of Khandsa drain, cleaning of four creeks in the Aravallis and building a parallel open drain along the Sector 4/9A railway line.

Badshahpur drain

Officials of the GMDA said widening of the Badshahpur drain is almost complete, which is crucial to prevent waterlogging on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

On the Narsinghpur-Khandsa stretch, adjacent to the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway, a 33-metre stretch of the Badshahpur drain in Khandsa village was the focal point of the 2016 “Gurujam” incident, when commuters were stuck on the road for almost two days.

Along the 33-metre stretch, the width of the city’s main drain — which carries 60% of Gurugram’s rainwater — reduces to such an extent that during monsoon, rainwater overflows onto the main carriageway of the National Highway 48 (NH-48) and inundates all its service lanes.

The carrying capacity of the Badshahpur drain reduces from 2,300 cusecs to 800 cusecs.

In the first week of June, GMDA officials, under the Disaster Management Act of 2005, acquired the 33-metre stretch of disputed land to widen the drain.

“Excavation and widening work on the drain has largely been completed due to the extra four-week time period. The setting up of a retaining wall to ensure rainwater does not overflow though will be taken up post monsoon. In addition, eight motor pumps have been installed by GMDA and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to keep waterlogging in check,” said Pradeep Kumar, chief engineer, GMDA.

Golf Course Road

Officials of the GMDA said that the delay in monsoon has allowed them to complete preparatory measures, slotted for this monsoon, with regard to four creeks in the Aravallis, located in sectors 26, 42, 54, and 56, to curb waterlogging on Golf Course Road.

“The additional time has helped us construct check dams and chutes (spillways) as well as complete all de-silting measures along the Aravallis. C&D waste is also being removed from the area. These works will result in a large amount of rainwater seeping into the soil and reducing the amount of run-off rainwater reaching the Golf Course Road,” said Kumar.

GMDA officials said they will also be working on the ecological restoration of the creeks so that native trees and shrubs can absorb rainwater and help recharge the groundwater table. The entire restoration is expected to take at least three to four years, said officials.

“This year, no flooding will occur at most of the critical points. We have deployed teams at each key waterlogging point so that they can monitor the on-ground situation round-the-clock during monsoon and send real-time information to the GMDA’s integrated command and control centre. GMDA, MCG, and Gurugram police can then, accordingly, initiate counter-waterlogging measures,” said Kumar.

Sector 4/9A road

Work on excavating a parallel open drain to channel rainwater to other outlets, and subsequently, towards a sewage treatment plant in the vicinity, will be completed in a week, said officials.

On Saturday, a joint team of the MCG and GMDA officials inspected the Sector 4/9A stretch between Laxman Vihar and Dhanwapur. According to MCG officials, the stretch is the lowest point in Old Gurugram and thus, remains susceptible to waterlogging.

The MCG’s long-term plan for this stretch is to widen the existing stormwater drain and extent it up to the Dhanwapur sewerage treatment plant (STP), where rainwater can be disposed of. A plan in this regard has been sent to the Haryana government for approval.

During the visit, MCG executive engineer Tushar Yadav said the excavation work is being done at a fast pace and will be completed within a week. “Work will be completed soon and through the open drain, water will be channelled into a drain located on the other side of the railway line,” said Yadav.