7 years after ‘Gurujam’: Waterlogging still a riddle that city can’t solve

Every monsoon since then, civic agencies aver that the situation has vastly improved and Gurugram will no longer face waterlogging of that scale again. But residents say little has improved and new waterlogging spots emerge after every bout of rain

It’s been seven years since the infamous “Gurujam” of 2016, when commuters were stuck in a mammoth gridlock on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for nearly two days after rainfall of 52mm, during the course of a single day, flooded all arterial roads, inundated houses, and washed away the city’s moniker of “Millennium City”.

A waterlogged stretch in Sector 109. (Parveen Kumar/ HT)

Every monsoon since then, civic agencies aver that the situation has vastly improved and Gurugram will no longer face waterlogging of that scale again. But residents say little has improved and new waterlogging spots emerge after every bout of rain. A lasting solution to waterlogging still eludes Gurugram.

Residents said this monsoon, areas such as Narsingpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Khandsa, Tau Devi Lal stadium, Sector 38 stretch, district courts, Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Rajiv Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Udyog Vihar, and Sohna Road, were submerged, and shows that the problem has now expanded to newer areas.

For example, when the city received moderate rain this July 9, waterlogging was reported from at least 20 new spots in residential areas and intersections such as Sector 57, Sector 51, Sector 48, Shivaji Nagar, district courts, Sector 38 and many areas along Dwarka Expressway, said residents.

To understand the problem at its worst, one needs to go back seven years. On July 28, 2016, Gurugram received 52 mm of rain in a single day. While that was not much when compared to other rainy days — like this July 19th when the city received 71mm of rain — it was enough to bring Gurugram to its knees; enough to overwhelm a skeletal drainage network; enough to cause the infamous “Gurujam”; and enough to inundate low-lying areas.

The prime culprit was the main stormwater drain, the Badshahpur drain, which overflowed near Hero Honda Chowk, bringing traffic on the expressway to a halt. It soon had a domino effect. The other arterial roads too became clogged as they took on knee-deep water. Many commuters had no option but to abandon their vehicles on the roadside and complete their journey on foot.

Solutions floated

The Haryana government identified three main solutions to the problem. The widening of the Badshahpur drain at Khandsa village, the construction of a parallel drain to reduce the spillage into the overburdened Badshahpur drain, and the formation of a new agency to streamline work through proper coordination.

The three solutions are either still on paper, under construction or have resulted in minimal impact. While the construction of a parallel drain next to the Badshahpur drain remains on paper, the widening of the Badshahpur drain is currently underway.

While the formation of a new agency, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in 2017, did bring about some changes -- it came up with different strategies to ensure that rainwater is released into drains connecting to Badshahpur and Najafgarh drains -- a lasting solution is still not in sight, say urban experts.

PC Meena, chief executive officer, GMDA, and commissioner, MCG, said they have identified the issues leading to waterlogging. “The problems are many like water emptying into low lying area, clogged drains, faulty pumping system, lack of expansion of drains and missing drain links and long connecting drains that slow down the exit of water. The solutions are underway,” he said.

“All civic agencies, the district administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are working as a team to combat the problem and are regularly holding meetings to take stock of the situation. There is no lack of coordination,” he said.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, said since ”Gurujam”, the administration has carried out preparations, both preventive as well as long-term, to stem water-logging.

“We have identified 112 waterlogging points, where countermeasures were initiated. The administration is also working with public bodies to set up infrastructure and revive the natural drainage channels,” he said.

Yadav said civic agencies have been instructed to clean natural creeks in the Aravallis that serve as a vital catchment area for recharging groundwater table.

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

The Badshahpur drain riddle

The Badshahpur drain carries nearly 70% of Gurugram’s rainwater and this major channel reduces in width when it nears the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. This reduction was identified as the main cause for the flooding of the expressway in 2016.

To resolve this, the government acquired land from villagers for widening the drain. A 33m stretch of the drain in Khandsa village, where the carrying capacity of the Badshahpur drain reduces from 2,300 cusecs to 800 cusecs, was finally acquired from villagers after the GMDA invoked the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

GMDA officials said they have formulated a plan to build another drain in collaboration with the NHAI from Narsingpur to Manesar that was earlier connected to Badshapur drain at Khandsa.

According to the plan, a culvert will link the Badshahpur drain at Vatika Chowk with the new drain that will flow along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Dwarka Expressway.

The project, estimated to cost ₹50 crore, will carry the extra run-off from the Badshahpur drain up to Choma village, thereby reducing the load on the main drain by 40-45%, said officials.

Yadav said the authority will construct the parallel drain from Vatika Chowk till the cloverleaf on NH-48, near Central Peripheral Road, and from there the NHAI will construct the remaining portion. “Due to Covid-19, cost of construction has increased by 15-20%. Hence, the DNIT [detailed notice inviting tender] had to be revised. We will be floating tenders for this project by September and construction will start soon after,” he said.

The Jwala Mill Road and Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road have a single stormwater drain, which makes them susceptible to waterlogging. Work on cleaning the drains has commenced and is expected to finish by the end of July, said GMDA officials.

Bowl-shaped topography an issue

Gurugram is a city shaped like a bowl, and that makes it a natural receptacle for run-off water from the Aravallis.

District administration officials said the eastern (towards Delhi) and the southern (towards Manesar) sides of Gurugram have ridges acting as embankments with an average elevation of 280-290 metres while the main town sits at an average elevation of 220 metres. Because of that, water flows down into the city from both sides creating severe waterlogging within the city limits.

DC Yadav said Rajiv Chowk, Civil Lines, Mini Secretariat, Civil Court, Sector 48, Sector 52, Sector 15, Sadar Bazaar, Iffco Chowk, Sector 10A, Sector 23, Dhankot are low lying areas where water from neighbouring areas accumulate. “We have identified 112 waterlogging points and have taken measures to pump out water. Several plans are in the pipeline and expansion of drains will begin soon. Though, the plans are long term, results will be visible from now,” he said.

But residents are sceptical.

Gauri Sarin, founder of Making Model Gurugram, a citizens’ initiative,said authorities should focus on unclogging the stormwater drain. “Desilting in timely manner and having recharge systems in low lying areas would help,” she said.

“The biggest problem with Gurugram is that in many private developer areas, the drains have missing links or constructions have been done on drains cutting them off. There is no exit for the run-off water. Resident welfare associations should take up the responsibility of identifying the blocked drain and we will provide them with the help to get it cleared,” said Meena.

Ajay Sharma, a resident of Tulip Ivory in Sector 70, said the drainage has been fixed according to individual needs of the private colonies, townships, sectors, societies and condominiums. Instead, a master drainage plan needs to be made, one that creates natural rainwater holding structures, and subsequently, addresses localised drainage issues.

“MCG, GMDA and developers have started covering every inch with concrete and asphalt, leaving no space for rainwater to percolate naturally. Lakes and ponds have been encroached upon and buildings have replaced these natural reservoirs. Missing stormwater systems and limited carrying capacity of the existing network ensure that whenever it rains heavily over a short duration, these systems are unable to carry the water, resulting in water-logging,” he said.

Sharma said garbage chokes stormwater systems, further reducing its capability to carry water.

“There are no quick-fix solutions to these problems. A holistic approach is required, combining our traditional wisdom with modern technology. Revival of lakes and ponds is a must. The water from city needs to flow into these water bodies. This will also result in the conservation of rainwater, which will also help in increasing the groundwater level,” said Sharma.

Puneet Pahwa, general secretary of Sector 45 RWA, said the stormwater drains are always clogged. “Stormwater drains are hidden under soil and are not connected with master drains , hence there is no exit for water leading to waterlogging. Sector 45 was allotted 25 years ago, and 30% of the sector still do not have stormwater drains,” he said.

Residents said the MCG has to ensure the cleaning of stormwater drains much ahead of monsoon. Currently, this cleaning is not done in a scientific and proper manner and garbage pulled out is kept as heaps nearby. As soon as it rains, this garbage again finds its way into the drains, they said.

Chaitali Mandhotra, member, Ardee City RWA, said Gurugram needs to have water bodies which can be used to store run-off water. “Where will the water go when there is hardly any earth for it seep into? Simply cleaning the rainwater drains won’t help. Only scant rainfall can be accommodated by drains. Canals leading to lakes and ponds are the only solution,” he said

Experts call for infra upgrade

Sewa Ram, an urban transport systems design expert and a faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, said even after a single shower, Gurugram witnesses water-logging and the problem is now being seen in residential areas also. “A large number of residential areas have no escape for water. Stormwater drains are mixed with sewer lines. Also, when the pressure is more, the sewer has a backflow. The GMDA had initiated an upgrade plan but they are yet to complete a study of the drainage, sewerage and water supply network,” he said.

During earlier years, he said parks used to have the capacity to absorb water from a moderate rainfall. “The drain lines used to go to the open areas that either used to have charging systems or storage. The time has come to revive our old method of creating local water storages or drainage,” he said.