Gurugram: Soon, fences to be installed along open drains

GURUGRAM: The GMDA on Tuesday approved a project to install fences along open sections of the master stormwater drains in the city - a decision made a fortnight after an 8-year-old boy fell into an open drain in Gadoli Khurd village and was never found.
Officials said the project was approved by GMDA chief executive officer Sudhir Rajpal at the authority's Core Planning Cell (CPC) meeting on Tuesday.
The priority will be given to drains located around residential areas, they said.
"GMDA will erect fences along these drains which will help combat issues such as improper garbage disposal and C&D waste dumping, which are a major cause of clogging in the city drains," said Vikram Singh, executive engineer of the Infrastructure 2 division of the GMDA, which handles the drainage network of the city.
"Additionally, fencing will also ensure that stray animals or cattle don't slip into these drains. We will ensure drains near residential areas are covered to avoid any accidents or untoward incidents in the future," he said.
The project will involve putting up iron fences, which are six feet high, along all the three main stormwater drains managed by the GMDA. This would mean covering about 4.3km of the drains' length, including culverts on these stretches.
Among the prominent locations that will be fenced are culverts on National Highway 8 (NH8), Old Delhi road, Dwarka Expressway, Dharampur village, and New Pataudi road. Additionally, open drains along the parking for Tau Devi Lal Park, Udyog Vihar, Bhimgarh Kheri village and Khandsa Chowk will be covered under the project.
Coated with powder, these fences won't need regular maintenance or painting. And unlike those installed in the past, these will be "modular" with "anti-theft features".
The decision came weeks after an 8-year-old boy, who was playing outside his house while it was raining, fell into the Badshapur stormwater drain in Gadoli Khurd on August 7. The boy's body has not been found so far.