Gurgaon: For Badshahpur drain expansion, Huda offers land free of cost

The authority has already received an in principal approval from the Haryana chief government, which does not want a repeat of the July 28, 2016, flooding incident at Hero Honda Chowk that resulted in overnight snarls on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway and throughout the city.

After getting a positive signal from residents of Khandsa village, who are now ready to part with their land for the expansion of Badshahpur drain, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has sent a detailed proposal for the rehabilitation of land owners in Sector 37C. As a special case, the authority will be giving land to the owners free of cost and also pay a compensation for the existing structures as it wants to expand the drain on a priority basis.

The Badhshahpur drain starts from Ghata and meets the Najafgarh drain but it has a major bottleneck at Khandsa, which the Huda is trying to remove. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The Badhshahpur drain starts from Ghata and meets the Najafgarh drain but it has a major bottleneck at Khandsa, which the Huda is trying to remove

The authority has already received an in principal approval from the Haryana chief government, which does not want a repeat of the July 28, 2016, flooding incident at Hero Honda Chowk that resulted in overnight snarls on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway and throughout the city.

The expansion of Badshahpur drain, which passes through Khandsa village, would increase the water carrying capacity of the drain, which is currently at 500 cusecs. The expansion would go a long way in reducing the waterlogging at Hero Honda Chowk, which has become an annual affair. Officials said there is a mismatch in the carrying capacity of the drains before and after it touches the expressway.

As per the Huda proposal, which is a special case that allows for the exchange of land, the authority will rehabilitate the land owners in Sector 37C. Land equal to and in lieu of their present plots will be given to the owners free of cost. Huda will take over these plots only after the owners get possession of their alternative plots. Compensation for existing structures will be given to the owners after Huda makes an assessment.

In case the area of the alternative plot is higher than what the allottee surrenders, then he will be charged the government rate under the Final Terms of Settlement. If the size of plot is lesser, then the oustees will be compensated by the authority. The claims of the oustees will be settled after the title deeds are verified by the revenue officials.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said the authority has prepared a detailed proposal keeping in view the importance of the matter. “This expansion of the drain is crucial to ensure that waterlogging at Hero Honda Chowk ends. All stakeholders have worked in tandem to come up with the proposal, which hopefully will get through,” Yadav said.