Work underway to clean drains which caused GCR flooding

Work to clean and restore four natural creeks, which carry monsoon runoff from the Aravallis onto Golf Course Road and the neighbouring sectors, is expected to be

Work to clean and restore four natural creeks, which carry monsoon runoff from the Aravallis onto Golf Course Road and the neighbouring sectors, is expected to be completed within this year, officials in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) said on Friday.

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The cleanup is being undertaken after investigation by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) flood protection committee, which identified these creeks as a key factor in the waterlogging of Golf Course Road on August 19.

Officials involved in the matter said that work on two of these drains in sectors 26 and 42, or creeks 1 and 2 respectively, is already underway as part of the cleanup’s first phase, while the remaining two creeks, in sectors 54 and 56, are set to be taken up early next month. A work order for the same was first issued on November 12, with work on site commencing soon after Diwali.

Hari Kishan, a junior engineer with the MCG, who is tasked with overseeing the restoration of these drains, said, “Construction work in the vicinity has picked up steam in recent years and the drains were completely choked with construction debris. This past week, we have been working on the site daily, using earthmoving machines to clear the rubble. In one instance, we cleared a patch of the drain in Sector 26 but found that it was filled with construction debris again the next morning.” To circumvent such violations, Kishan said, the drains may also be fenced off after cleaning.

An interim report by the TERI School Advanced Studies also noted the presence of C&D waste dumping in the area, which had rendered these four creeks “not fully functional”, especially the one in Sector 42. The report, which suggests preliminary measures to prevent flooding along GCR, states, “Many tributaries of the creeks as reported are non-existent now which means that the storm water is not carried through them, instead they are carried onto the road (the road substitutes as a channel).”

“Our job for the moment is to clean all waste from the nullah and open up a clear channel for the water. This will avoid any spillover onto Golf Course Road as runoff will be directed to a natural water body in Sikanderpur, which collects at the end of the Wazirabad bundh. We will observe the site during winter rains to see if the creeks are able to carry runoff,” said Kishan.

A senior official in the GMDA’s infrastructure department, who is privy to the matter, said while seeking anonymity, “Though it was the GMDA’s purview to understand why GCR got flooded, the drains are with the MCG. Therefore they have been instructed to do the cleanup. Meanwhile, our detailed project report for augmenting drainage in the area has been reviewed by a team of researchers from TERI. We will meet with them to discuss their findings, and take steps accordingly.”