Drains on Delhi-Gurugram expressway to be fixed, rebuilt

Due to the lack of a proper drainage system, the stretch between Narsinghpur and Khandsa would be inundated even after short spells of rain. As a result, the service lane and three lanes of the four-lane carriageway on the e-way carrying traffic towards Jaipur would be cut-off for commuters.

To ensure the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway is free of waterlogging, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will repair and reconstruct stormwater drains between Narsinghpur and Kherki Daula, officials said on Friday.

The MCG has floated a ₹46.24 lakh tender for the drains work, and bids for the same will end on September 16. (HT File Photo( Representational image))

The MCG has floated a ₹46.24 lakh tender for the work, and bids for the same will end on September 16.

Due to the lack of a proper drainage system, the stretch between Narsinghpur and Khandsa would be inundated even after short spells of rain. As a result, the service lane and three lanes of the four-lane carriageway on the e-way carrying traffic towards Jaipur would be cut-off for commuters.

With only one lane of the carriageway being accessible, the e-way would get heavily congested till Rajiv Chowk and commuters would take more than one hour to cover an eight kilometre stretch.

“As the deputy commissioner, during the flood control preparedness review, I had issued directions to the MCG to fix drains between Narsinghpur and Kherki Daula, which is the most vulnerable area in the city to waterlogging. Taking the project ahead, the MCG has now floated tenders for repairing and re-constructing drains along the stretch. The idea is to ensure no water accumulation takes place on the road and the e-way remains free of any hindrance caused by it,” said Amit Khatri, who is also the MCG commissioner.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the MCG have been in dispute over the issue since 2008, each wanting the other to fix drains along the e-way.

Ashok Sharma, project director of NHAI, could not be reached for comment.

Such is the problem of poor drainage on the stretch that after 25 minutes of rain on September 2, the service lanes of the Khandsa (near Kherki Daula)-Narsinghpur stretch were the only part of the city that reported major waterlogging.

With the service lane and three of the four lanes on the main carriageway carrying traffic from Delhi towards Jaipur being inundated, motorists had only one operational lane to drive their vehicles through. Commuters took over 30-40 minutes to cover the six kilometre distance between Rajiv Chowk and Narsinghpur.