Monsoon wks away, work on Badshapur drain culvert not over

Gurgaon: Monsoon is at the doorstep, but construction of culverts on Badshapur drain near Gadoli village isn’t complete yet.
According to MCG officials, only 60% work has been completed so far. Due to the ongoing work, flow of water has been hampered in the drain, leading to concerns of flooding during the monsoon. The flow will be restored in the next two weeks, officials said.
MCG is upgrading the culverts at a cost of around Rs 4 crore. The work order was issued last year in June with an initial deadline of six months. Due to the opposition from locals, however, it couldn’t be started. The project was further hampered due to delays in approval from various departments, including traffic police. Work finally started in February.
Earlier, MCG was planning to wind up the work by May end. Now, completion is likely to take around two months, officials said.
“We are trying to restore the flow of water within the next 15-20 days. At present, the water is being diverted for the construction of culverts. Work on the construction of the Pataudi Road stretch over the culverts will take at least 60 days,” MCG executive engineer Gopal Kalawat said.
“An electric pole falls in the alignment, due to which we are forced to carry out work slowly and cautiously to avoid any damage to the embankment. We have already raised the matter with DHBVN, but it is yet to be shifted,” another MCG official said.
While this section of Pataudi Road has been partially opened for light vehicles, heavy vehicles will be allowed only after the project is completed, officials said.
Anil Gandas, a Gadoli resident, said: “MCG needs to speed up work and complete it before the monsoon. During the monsoon, the drain is full and leaving the work uncomplete may result in flooding. Although light traffic has been allowed, commuters are still facing a lot of inconvenience.”
When contacted, DHBVN superintending engineer ML Rohilla said, “We have shifted poles for which we received the cost deposit. Only one pole, which was not included, needs to be shifted. We have already prepared the cost estimate and shared it with MCG, but are yet to get consent for the deposit.”