Heavy traffic at Gurgaon Expressway, Monday. (Photo by Manoj Kumar)
Clogging and encroachment of the Badshahpur drain in Gurgaon, that led to massive gridlocks across the city last year, has persisted this year as well with waterlogging reported at Hero Honda Chowk on Monday following heavy showers over the weekend.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had to arrange for five suction pumps to remove the stagnant rainwater that had collected at the busy junction.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had to arrange for five suction pumps to remove the stagnant rainwater that had collected at the busy junction.
On Monday morning, 32 millimetres of rainfall left commuters on the National Highway, between Kherki Daula toll plaza and Rajeev Chowk, stranded between 8 am and 10.30 am. “All traffic police personnel as well as Station House Officers (SHOs) were out on the roads from 5 am this morning, trying to manage the situation. We posted close to 500 personnel to minimise issues for commuters,” said Manish Sehgal, PRO of Gurgaon Police. Some parts of the city, including Sectors 21, 41, and 37, also experienced waterlogging, with MCG workers having to pump out the water to restore normalcy.
Heavy rainfall on July 28 last year had led to waterlogging and massive gridlocks in the city, with the crux of the problem being waterlogging at Hero Honda Chowk. Official investigations had revealed that this resulted from a lack of proper drainage for rainwater near the junction.
A plan was later formulated to widen the Badshahpur drain. Officials from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), however, claimed that the widening of the Badshahpur drain has been delayed due to problems with demolishing structures.
“We are well on our way to widen the drain, and are only waiting for some structures to be demolished. Three have already been removed, and another nine will soon be razed,” said a HUDA official.
Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon Commissioner, V Umashankar, similarly, claimed, “Between June 28 and 30, we expect that our preparations in most parts of the city will be completed. By July 10, the desilting process will also be wrapped up, in time for the monsoon.”
In the interim, the NHAI has created a culvert at Hero Honda Chowk, running parallel to the drain, to divert the rainwater that gets collected there.
