Fearing flooding in the city during the rainy season, the alignment of Ghatta natural drain, which was earlier decided to be shifted for accommodating residential and commercial projects as per the Master Plan 2025, has been reinstated. The drain is also called Kost Nallah.
The decision came after the irrigation department opposed to the move, cautioning it would flood a major portion of New Gurgaon during rains. Besides, Gurgaon-based social organisations like Gurgaon Citizen’s Council and the disaster management department too had opposed the development of new sectors under Master Plan 2025 at the cost of the drain.
Senior officials of town and country planning (T&CP) department visited the site and sensed the seriousness of the matter, before the decision arrived.
Earlier, the department had drafted the Master Plan 2025 and proposed shift in the alignment of 28-km-long drain. It had also started issuing licences to private developers, without verifying the fact that the construction site lied in the submergence area of Ghatta Bund (small-check dams) in Sector 58.
OP Yadav, superintending engineer of the irrigation department, confirmed that the T&CP department changed its stand, after visiting the site and meeting the irrigation department officials.
{{/usCountry}}OP Yadav, superintending engineer of the irrigation department, confirmed that the T&CP department changed its stand, after visiting the site and meeting the irrigation department officials.
{{/usCountry}}The irrigation and disaster management departments had refused to give a no-objection certificate (NOC) for new areas that have been carved out of green areas and natural water storage and drainage systems, comprising nallahs and bunds.
As per the Gurgaon Master Plan 2025, Sectors 58 to 67, falling under the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), was to cover three major bunds, including Ghatta Bund, Behrampur Bund and Kadarpur Bund. Further, the plan envisages the shifting of Kost Nallah, which was opposed by the irrigation department, Haryana. This was overruled in a state-level committee meeting headed by the chief minister on September 27, 2010.