This story is from June 18, 2019

Clogged drains, roadside garbage show waterlogging risk high again in Gurugram

State public works department (PWD) minister Rao Narbir Singh on Monday directed the district administration to desilt drains along the Delhi-Jaipur national highway and those on Behrampur road by Thursday. Singh was on an inspection round to take stock of the city’s monsoon preparedness.
Clogged drains, roadside garbage show waterlogging risk high again in Gurugram
Waste dumped along roads flow into drains and choke them
GURUGRAM: State public works department (PWD) minister Rao Narbir Singh on Monday directed the district administration to desilt drains along the Delhi-Jaipur national highway and those on Behrampur road by Thursday. Singh was on an inspection round to take stock of the city’s monsoon preparedness.
Earlier this month, deputy commissioner Amit Khatri had directed NHAI and GMDA officials to expedite work on desilting and cleaning drains and roads of garbage, among others, to avoid waterlogging.
He directed that special attention be paid to critical points like Signature Towers crossing, Hero Honda Chowk, Subhash Chowk and U-turn near Ambience mall.
On the other hand, a visit to several spots aross the city by TOI belied these efforts. Clogged drains, garbage accumulated along the roadside and potholes were visible in many areas.
Sectors 34, 37 and 10A, Sheetla Mata Mandir road and areas in and around Hero Honda Chowk are some areas susceptible to flooding even during light showers.
Residents of these areas complained of clogged drains, garbage littered everywhere, and construction and demolition waste dumped openly on the roadside. They expressed concerns over the administration’s efforts in ensuring that potholes are repaired, drains are cleaned and garbage is picked up and properly disposed of.
“Garbage dumped in the area isn’t managed on time here. Construction waste is dumped along the road and lies unaddressed. Every year, this garbage flows to the drains and chokes them during rains and causes waterlogging. People are forced to travel on roads flooded with sewage,” complained Hariram, a resident of Khandsa village in Sector 37.

Residents are also worried that with the expansion of Badshapur drain still incomplete and some drains broken due to construction work on Sohna road, the upcoming monsoon might cause heavy waterlogging.
District administration officials, however, said they have assured the chief minister that the widening of Badshapur drain will be completed by June 30.
Speaking on their efforts to contain waterlogging and ensure smooth traffic flow on roads, an NHAI official claimed, “All the departments are coordinating with each other to mitigate this challenge. NHAI has already cleaned several surface drains, and the remaining will be cleaned in the coming days. We’ve also doubled the capacity of the suction pumps installed at Hero Honda Chowk to deal with waterlogging.”
The official added that while the department is doing its bit, people too need to be more careful about dumping waste.
“Areas falling in wards 24 and 27 are bit of a problem. Haphazard waste dumping is rampant in these areas, which puts pressure on the administration. Area councillors should also rise up to the occasion and counsel people towards better waste disposal practices,” he said.
GMDA official too said they are gearing up for the monsoon.
“We’ve already cleaned and repaired around 40km of drains in the city to ensure that they don’t clog during rains. Work to cover other drains is underway. We are committed to complete our task before monsoon,” a GMDA official claimed.
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