5 yrs after ‘Gurujam’, city’s rain plan still in the clouds
On July 28, 2016, Gurugram received just 52mm of rain. While that was not much when compared to other rain days — like the 19th of this month when the city received 185mm of rain — it was enough to bring Gurugram to its knees; enough to overwhelm a skeletal drainage network; enough to cause the infamous “Gurujam” in which commuters were stuck on the Delhi-gurgaon Expressway for nearly two days; enough to flood all arterial roads; and enough to inundate houses in “Millennium City”.
In its aftermath, plan after plan was made by the Haryana government to make Gurugram “rain ready”. Five years on, none of those plans have come to fruition.
On July 19, rain left the city battered yet again; four underpasses were flooded, low-lying homes and offices were inundated, and multiple road caveins were reported from across the city.
In 2016, the main stormwater drain, the Badshahpur drain, overflowed near Hero Honda Chowk and the severe waterlogging had a domino effect. The arterial roads were soon clogged and they took on knee-deep water. Many commuters had no option but to abandon their vehicles on the roadside and complete their journey on foot.
GURUGRAM:
In the aftermath of the severe flooding, the Haryana government identified three main solutions -- the widening of the Badshahpur drain at Khandsa village; the construction of a parallel drain to reduce the carrying capacity of the overfilled Badshahpur drain; and the formation of a new agency to end the multiplicity of agencies and streamline work through proper coordination. The three solutions are either still on paper, under construction, or have resulted in minimal impact.
The construction of a parallel drain next to the Badshahpur drain, to reduce its carrying capacity, is still on the drawing board, the widening of the Badshahpur drain is a work in progress. The formation of a new agency, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), has failed to bring about any change in the workings of the city, and has compounded the prevailing issues.
GMDA’S chief engineer, Pardeep Kumar, said, since 2018, when the GMDA started its drainage operations, the number of citywide critical points has consistently reduced each year. According to him, this reflects the on-ground success.
“Recently, the construction of check dams and cleaning of creeks led to minimal waterlogging on Golf Course Road, even when the rest of the city was underwater following the heavy rain. We are aiming to replicate such localised success measures across the city and ensure that all plans formulated to fix the city’s drainage issues, post-gurujam, are finished,” said Kumar.
The deputy commissioner of Gurugram, Yash Garg, said, since ”Gurujam”, the administration has carried out preparations, both preventive as well as long-term, to stem waterlogging. “Prior to this monsoon, 113 points were identified across the city, where counter waterlogging measures were initiated. Along with taking preventative measures, the administration is also working with all public bodies to set up infrastructure and revive the natural drainage channels to fix drainage issues,” said Garg.
Experts called on the authorities to come up with a comprehensive citywide plan to combat waterlogging.
“The biggest problem is that drainage solutions have been done according to residential pockets, rather than citywide comprehensive ones. Drainage has been fixed according to individual needs of developer colonies, townships, Huda colonies, societies and condominiums. Instead, a master drainage plan needs to be made, that creates natural rainwater holding structures, and subsequently, addresses localised drainage issues,” said Sanjukkta Bhaduri, professor of urban planning and dean research at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi.