Gurgaon admin does damage control after waterlogging halts traffic

Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Iffco Chowk where constructions for underpasses and flyovers are underway are prone to waterlogging, besides several other places in the city.

After two days of heavy rain battered Gurgaon roads and forced residents to wade through knee-deep water, the district administration has gone into damage control mode and asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to place adequate number of motors to pump out rainwater from roads.

Vehicles pass through the waterlogged Sector 15, in Gurgaon, on Tuesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Iffco Chowk where constructions for underpasses and flyovers are underway are prone to waterlogging, besides several other places in the city.

The rain over the last two days had brought traffic to a standstill at Hero Honda Chowk on NH 8, forcing top officials and police to inspect the sites and step in to streamline traffic movement.

Hardeep Singh, Gurgaon deputy commissioner, has asked NHAI and Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) to place adequate motors to pump out rainwater.

“NHAI and Huda officials conducted a joint inspection of all sites prone to waterlogging on Monday. The problem areas are Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and Subhash Chowk on Sohna road where emergency steps will be taken to pump out rainwater,” the DC said.

“NHAI shall ensure diversion of stormwater into Huda’s master drain at Rajiv Chowk. I have also directed Huda and NHAI to make a culvert at Hero Honda Chowk to divert rainwater. Besides that, Huda shall ensure no blockage in the stormwater line at Subhash Chowk,” Singh said.

The DC said Huda has been directed to ensure a proper embankment is made to divert stormwater so that there is no hindrance to the construction of a sump near the marble market in Sector 34.

“I have also asked Huda to clean master drains at the earliest,” Singh said.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, Gurgaon, said, “NHAI has taken adequate steps by placing motors at Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and at Iffco Chowk and at other places as directed by the administration. We will ensure no waterlogging happens in the future.”

“Huda has appointed a nodal authority in this regard to take care of sites prone to waterlogging near Devi Lal Stadium, Subhash Chowk and near GTPL in Sector 34. We have done adequate arrangements to manage the rains this year,” said Yashpal Yadav, Huda administrator.

On Tuesday, Haryana PWD Minister Rao Narbir inspected Hero Honda Chowk and Rajiv Chowk to take stock of the construction work on a flyover and underpass.

“I have directed the officials concerned to take adequate steps to prevent waterlogging,” Rao Narbir said.