Under water again, city banks on check dams & new drain for relief

Gurgaon: Relentless showers over the past two days brought with them inundated streets and intersections, proving once again that the city’s existing infrastructure isn’t prepared to channelise a spurt of rainfall in mere hours.
Currently, there are three master stormwater drains — Leg-1, Leg-2 and the Badshapur drain — each of which carries rainwater to Delhi’s Najafgarh drain, which eventually empties out in Yamuna river. The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is now working on a one-year plan to provide relief by the next monsoon. This involves construction of a Leg-4, along with a network to link drains.
The Leg-4 stormwater drain, set to be 5.5km in length, will connect Vatika Chowk to the railway culvert 61 on the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR). Officials say this will divert at least 50% of Badshapur drain’s load.
“We have floated a tender regarding the same and we are hoping to complete it by next year,” Rajesh Bansal, GMDA chief engineer, told TOI on Friday. The Leg-4 drain will carry rainwater discharge from sectors 68 to 80, and indirectly reduce chances of waterlogging in other parts of the city by easing the flow for Badshapur drain.
GMDA officials said they are also working to connect some smaller drains with the Badshapur drain. “We also need to connect smaller drain around Palam Vihar area to Badshapur drain. We will be working to fix the 3.5km stretch in a year,” the official said. The authority has introduced a dozen check dams in the Aravali hills. These break the flow of water and divert it to green belts or water bodies.
A well planned drainage system is still the need of the hour, experts say. “The existing stormwater drains were designed are undersized for the current rainfall standards,” said Subhash Yadav, ACEO, GMDA.
A 2020 survey by the TERI School of Advanced Studies also concluded that sewage must be channelised to municipal sewers. “This rainfall pattern is new, but will become more normal. The city will need to reduce concretisation,” said Fawzia Tarannum, assistant professor, department of regional water studies, TERI.