Land-use shifts, inadequate drainage leave Ggm at mercy of rainfall
Gurugram does not have a perennial river yet the city regularly experiences waterlogging during monsoon. Experts attribute this to encroachments on and obstructions in the natural flow of the city’s three main stormwater drains.
The shift in land use, overreliance on mechanical pumping, and an inadequate internal drainage network disconnected from the master drain system contribute to the city’s annual flooding despite recording normal rainfall.
However, the persistence of flooding in various parts of the city after short rain spells despite the expenditure of hundreds of crores of rupees on cleaning stormwater drains and sewage systems highlights the failure of civic agencies to complete crucial infrastructure projects.
Obstruction of drains
Gurugram has three major drains called Leg 1, originating from Nathupur village, Leg 2, originating near Chakkarpur, and Leg 3 (also called Badshahpur drain).
Leg 1 passes through DLF Phase 3, Udyog Vihar, Sector 23, Rotary Public School Rezangla Chowk, New Palam Vihar, railway track crossing, Bajghera, and finally joins the Najafgarh drain. To connect the Leg 2 drain with the Najafgarh drain, the authority will construct the pending section of 550 metres, officials said.
The 21.5-km-long Leg Two rain starts from near Sectors 27, 28, Chakkarpur village, passes through Millennium City Metro station earlier called MDI
Chowk, Atul Kataria chowk/ Sheetla Mata Road, Sector 5, New Palam Vihar, Northern Peripheral road, Dualatabad, and finally to Najafgarh drain.
The most important drain as far as evacuation of storm water from Gurugram is concerned is the Badshahpur drain or Leg Three drain. Starting from Ghata irrigation dam to Vatika Chowk on Sohna road it is called Khost drain, thereafter it is called the Badshahpur drain and it passes through Golf Course Extension Road, SPR, Hero Honda Chowk, Khandsa, Gadholi Khurd, and ends at Najafgarh drain. Its length is 28 kilometres.
The natural stormwater drains used to be wide and carried water through their natural contours but presently these drains across the city have been either encroached, or land along these drains have been sold and construction carried out.
Experts said that large-scale construction has led to extensive concretisation of land in Gurugram, exacerbating the waterlogging issue.
The failure of civic agencies to preserve village ponds and bunds like Ghata Dam and Jharsa Dam, along with construction in their catchment areas, has further worsened the situation.
“Green belts, rainwater harvesting, sewerage and drainage systems, road redesigns, and the revival of water bodies need to be integrated into a multipronged approach. Why is the government oblivious to Gurugram residents’ woes, proposing quick fixes instead of long-term solutions?” said Gauri Sarin, founder of Making Model Gurugram, a citizens’ initiative.
“Waterlogging in residential areas is due to a lack of desilting before rains. In Ardee City, desilting work was abruptly stopped in September 2023, with the reason given that the monsoons were over. The contractor was supposed to restart before the 2024 monsoon, but that never happened. We don’t even know if the contractor was paid for work that was never executed,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, a member of the Ardee City Residents Welfare Association (RWA).
Vikram Singh, executive engineer at the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), said that the authorities have made some progress in combating the situation. “In 2020, we identified 79 waterlogging hot spots in the city. Key infrastructure developments and remedial measures have reduced these to 16 locations. GMDA is working to identify and address all bottlenecks to further enhance the city’s drainage network. The construction of the remaining 500 metres of Leg 2 Drain is in progress, and drainage installation in new sectors is also underway,” he said.
Narhari Singh Bangar, MCG commissioner, said that their teams are getting all drains cleared. “People illegally dump debris and fresh waste into the drains. The desilting is already ongoing and we have cleared a lot of drains but a lot more is required. The teams are working day and night but the residents should also take responsibility,” he said.
A retired urban planner said on condition of anonymity that large tracts of land in Ghata Dam’s catchment area have been commercially exploited, reducing the dam’s capacity.