Rainwater floods several condos across Gurugram
Residents in Gurugram faced a harrowing experience on Sunday as heavy rain caused severe waterlogging, flooding roads, common areas, and basements. Residents' welfare associations were forced to hire pumps to drain flooded areas. The rainfall was the highest since 1982. Waterlogging has been a recurring problem in the city, despite authorities' claims to address it. Construction work at Vatika Chowk blocked a stormwater drain, exacerbating the flooding. The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority deployed teams to address the issue. The CEO directed officials to improve drain infrastructure and connectivity for faster rainwater discharge.
Gurugram: Residents of several condominiums and colonies across the city had a harrowing experience on Sunday due to the incessant rain that caused severe waterlogging not only on roads, but also flooded the common areas and basements of condominiums and residential areas.
The residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in the housing societies were forced to hire pumps and some even purchased them to drain the flooded areas inside the complexes.
In BPTP Astaire Garden in Sector 70A, rainwater flooded the basement and seeped into three to four ground floor flats, damaging furniture, said the RWA.
Gurugram on Sunday received 138 mm rainfall, which led to severe waterlogging across the city. According to officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Sunday’s rainfall was the highest since July 25, 1982, when the city received 169.9mm of rain.
The rainfall led to flooding in internal sectors roads, said residents. The situation was further complicated as the adjoining tehsils of Gurugram also received heavy rainfall on Sunday.
The district administration said Wazirabad received 165mm rain, followed by Kadipur 135mm, Harsaru 134mm, Badshahpur 83mm, Pataudi 70mm, Sohna 46mm and Manesar 27mm.
Jaswant Singh, president of BPTP Astaire Garden RWA, said it rained all through Saturday night and residents were shocked to see the severe waterlogging in their society on Sunday morning. “There was around 10-feet deep rainwater in the basement and it also entered a few ground floor flats. We deployed around eight to 10 pumps to drain the water. Neither the authorities nor the developer have taken any measures to assist us. The entire stormwater drainage system has failed, and residents had to bear the brunt,” he said.
Singh also said that due to waterlogging, cracks also emerged in walls of a few flats.
Rohit Mohan, senior vice-president of BPTP Group, however, said that no drainage or other related works are pending from the builder’s side. “The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is responsible for the waterlogging. Our maintenance team is helping the residents. We also arranged tractor-mounted dewatering pumps to drain the rainwater on Sunday,” he said.
Waterlogging has been a regular phenomenon across the city and despite repeated claims by the authorities, the problem has not been resolved over the years, said residents.
Satyavan Dagar, president of Vatika City Apartment Owners’ Association, said severe waterlogging took place in their condominium on Sunday, as construction work at Vatika Chowk, where an underpass is being built, led to the blocking of a stormwater drain. “The water being pumped out of the basements kept coming back due to the block caused by construction work,” he said.
At Orchid Island condominium, the residents said waterlogging did not cause major problems despite flooding of common areas, but the heavy rain damaged parapets in three to four flats, while pergolas of three to four flats were also damaged. “The waterlogging caused some issues, but it was manageable. However, due to the heavy rain, parapets and pergolas were damaged” said Rajender Yadav, president of the RWA.
In Tatvam Villas, an upscale society on Sohna Road, the residents said the situation remained under control as they had deployed 27 pumps to drain the rainwater. “We had taken adequate measures to ensure there was no waterlogging and pumps deployed by the RWA functioned effectively,” said Rohtas Mal, general secretary of the RWA.
A spokesperson of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) said teams of the district administration, GMDA, and MCG were deployed on ground to identify and address the issue of waterlogging. “Water pumping machines were installed at several places to drain out the rainwater”, he said.
The authority said that chief executive officer PC Meena, visited Subhash Chowk on Monday and inspected the drainage network along Hero Honda Chowk and Marble Market. “He directed officials to redesign the existing drain infrastructure and improve its connectivity to Badshahpur drain for faster discharge of rainwater during heavy the monsoon,” an official said.