Significant relief from the waterlogging that occurs every monsoon on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway and in the sectors of new Gurugram is expected this year. To control the rainwater flowing down from the Aravalli hills, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is constructing a new 5.5-kilometre-long drain. According to officials, about 68 per cent of the work on this drain has been completed, and the target is to have it fully ready by 30 June, so that its full benefits can be realised during the upcoming monsoon.
The Aravalli hills are located towards Ghata village. During the monsoon, rainwater flowing rapidly from here passes through the Golf Course Extension Road and SPR-Vatika Chowk area, reaching Vatika Chowk, sectors adjacent to SPR and many parts of new Gurugram. Due to the lack of a drainage system, severe waterlogging occurs here, which badly affects the general public as well as traffic.
The Rs 90 Crore Project Details
For a permanent solution to waterlogging, the GMDA is constructing a new drain from Vatika Chowk along the SPR to the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. The estimated cost of this project is around Rs 90 crore. This drain will be connected to Leg-3, that is, the Badshahpur Drain. This will reduce the water pressure in the Narsinghpur area on the highway and prevent overflow situations. Officials say that once the drain is operational, rainwater from the Aravalli will reach the master drainage system in a controlled manner. GMDA officials claim that the construction work is progressing rapidly and will be completed within the set deadline.
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The Impact Of Past Waterlogging And Historical Data
During the last monsoon, waterlogging occurred at 159 locations. More than 100 of these were in low-lying areas. In other places, the drainage system was either incomplete, or drains and sewers had not been cleaned on time. As a result, even with light to moderate rainfall, roads would turn into ponds. Engineering experts believe that the main cause of Gurugram's waterlogging problem is the incomplete drainage and sewer network. The internal drains are not connected to the master drain and the capacity of the master drain is also low in several places. Consequently, during the monsoon, the entire system cannot handle the pressure and collapses. According to experts, the new drain will provide an alternative and robust route for the water coming from the Aravalli region.
2020: Waterlogging used to occur at 79 locations.
2021: This reduced to 39 locations.
2022: 34 locations were identified as vulnerable to waterlogging.
2023: Significant waterlogging occurred at 31 places.
2024: Water was not drained from 112 locations.
2025: Waterlogging occurred at 159 locations.
Traffic Chaos And The Narsinghpur Bottleneck
Waterlogging at Narsinghpur on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway causes a ten-kilometre-long traffic jam from Hero Honda Chowk to the Kherki Daula Toll Plaza. With several feet of water on the highway and service lanes, vehicles also get submerged and damaged. Traffic on the highway is completely affected. Traffic is often disrupted for as long as ten hours at a time. On July 29, 2016, waterlogging in the Hero Honda Chowk area on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway also caused a massive traffic jam where vehicle wheels were stationary for up to 21 hours.
The NHAI, GMDA and the Municipal Corporation drain the water at Narsinghpur using pumps. However, a permanent solution to the problem has not been found. A new drain was prepared during the monsoon season for this purpose, which has provided some relief.
Division Of Responsibility
These departments are responsible:
NHAI: Responsibility for drainage along all highways.
Municipal Corporation: Drainage from internal roads and residential areas.
GMDA: Drainage from all main roads.