GMDA floats tenders to set up a flood control room

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has floated tenders to set up a dedicated flood control room near the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, said officials

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has floated tenders to set up a dedicated flood control room near the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, said officials on Tuesday. Once operational, the control room will serve as a nodal centre from where necessary machines and equipment can be dispersed to waterlogged spots across the city during the monsoon.

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The development is important as tenders for cleaning drains in the city were only floated in the first week of May this year amid the ongoing lockdown announced to control the coronavirus outbreak. Tenders for cleaning drains in many areas are yet to be floated. Also, in light of many migrant workers returning to their home towns, work in areas where tenders have been allocated is progressing at a slow pace because of a shortage of workers, said officials.

The flood control room would be established at a cost of ₹41 lakh. The deadline for submitting the final bid for the tender is June 4.

Vikram Singh, executive engineer of drainage division, GMDA, said a meeting on flood preparedness would be held on Wednesday at the authority’s office wherein the exact requirements, in terms of machinery and workforce required, will be determined along with the exact location of the flood control room.

“We will establish the flood control room at a location next to the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway from where both parts of the city, those located left of the e-way and those on the right can get adequate and immediate coverage. We will have similar machinery at the flood control office as last year, and will finalise the necessary equipment and workforce size in Wednesday’s meeting. Accordingly, we will ask the potential contractors to meet these requirements,” said Singh.

At the flood control room set up in 2019 in Sector 53, GMDA had placed eight dewatering pump sets, four tractor-mounted suction pumps, one earthmover, two super sucker machines, 5,000 gunny bags, and deployed 10 workers who together worked 24x7 in shifts.

“Last year, around 45 water logging prone spots were identified by the GMDA. At some of these spots, we have upgraded the drainage system or initiated necessary repairs, and depending on their status report, we will cut down the total number of waterlogging prone spots accordingly for this year,” Singh said.

Some of the waterlogging prone spots identified by GMDA include Vatika Chowk, CH Bakhtawar Road, AIT Chowk, and Hero Honda Chowk.