Several waterlogging hotspots have been identified across the city, including Narsinghpur, Khandsa Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sector 9A Bhardwaj Chowk, Tau Devi Lal Stadium (Sector 38), Jwala Mill Road, Sector 28 (Chakkarpur) and Laxman Vihar. Drainage infrastructure progress is also uneven.
Haryana’s Gurugram is reeling under severe rains amid the monsoon fury sweeping across north India. Traffic snarls and waterlogging have become common sights in the millennium city of India. This is not the first time Gurugram has come to a standstill due to heavy downpours. Every year, rains during the monsoon season throw the city out of gear. The big question arises why does Gurugram, which receives only about 600 mm of annual rainfall, suffer such severe flooding, while cities like Kochi, with over 2000 mm of rainfall, manage better?
A recent high-level meeting conducted by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini revealed the top reasons responsible for the sorry state of Gurugram, which include poor urban planning and the collapse of the drainage system.
Clogged drains, encroachments among key reasons
Experts say that even moderate rainfall causes severe waterlogging due to human errors. The drainage system fails because drains are clogged with debris and encroachments. The runoff from the Aravalli hills, once controlled by bunds, now flows unchecked as these structures have been destroyed.
Gurugram once had 60 natural canals, but only 4 remain today. Out of 732 square kilometers, only 40 kilometers of drainage lines are functional. Poor road design worsens the situation.
Lack of ponds, wetlands adding to woes
Administrative failures further add to the crisis. Despite spending Rs 500 crore since 2016, there has been little improvement. Pumps and tankers are deployed every year, but the root causes remain unresolved. The destruction of ponds and wetlands has caused Gurugram to lose its natural ability to absorb water.
Poor coordination between agencies
Multiple agencies including the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM), and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) are responsible for different aspects of urban management and long-term planning. However, poor coordination among these stakeholders worsens the waterlogging issue.
Senior officials now blame the master drainage project, which has been stalled due to Metro rail expansion. According to official data presented at the Chief Minister’s meeting, only Leg-1, Leg-2, and Leg-3 (Badshahpur drain) are operational. These drains eventually discharge into the Najafgarh drain.
Key hotspots identified
Several waterlogging hotspots have been identified across the city, including Narsinghpur, Khandsa Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sector 9A Bhardwaj Chowk, Tau Devi Lal Stadium (Sector 38), Jwala Mill Road, Sector 28 (Chakkarpur) and Laxman Vihar. Drainage infrastructure progress is uneven. While Sectors 1 to 67 have completed drainage works, sectors 68 to 115 are still under construction or approval stages.
Despite being a major economic hub with heavy daily movement of people and vehicles, Gurugram’s flooding problem highlights the urgent need for better urban planning, improved infrastructure and administrative coordination.
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