Gaps in a gate installed at the junction of Leg 3 (Badshahpur drain) and the Leg 4 (SPR) stormwater drains, along with a delay in fully closing it, contributed to flooding on Sohna Road on Monday, a Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) official, aware of the matter, said on Thursday.
To be sure, the gates installed on the drains has two separate shutters, which are installed separately, and in between these two shutters, there are gaps. Residents demanded accountability from civic authorities post the ordeal. Workers were seen inspecting the gate. “The run off has increased substantially and the gates on drains should be maintained regularly as any gap or failure to close the shutters would lead to flooding. At Subash Chowk, officials found that drainage chambers along the road were blocked by garbage, preventing water from entering the drain.
The gate failed to divert excess water to Leg 4, and water from the Badshahpur drain overflowed and inundated the area, the official said. The GMDA constructed Leg 4 (SPR drain) along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) at a cost of over ₹ 100 crore, tender of which was floated in 2024, and work was completed this year, to divert excess water from the Badshahpur drain and prevent flooding on Sohna Road and adjoining areas. The gate near Vatika Chowk was installed to divert stormwater through Leg 4 drain, according to the authority. Once closed, water from areas including DLF Phase 1 and sectors 42, 43, 52A, and 53 to 67, as well as nearby villages such as Maidawas, Ramgarh, Ullawas, Badshahpur and Ghata, is supposed to be diverted through the drain. At least 14 school buses remained stuck on waterlogged roads across Gurugram. The Badshahpur drain has a capacity of around 3,800 cusecs, while the Leg 4 drain can carry 1,800 cusecs, according to GMDA officials. The two drains merge in Sector 37D after crossing NH-48, and carry stormwater to the Najafgarh drain. A GMDA official aware of the matter said the master stormwater drain at the junction had also been given a 90-degree U-turn for the construction of an underpass, making water movement difficult and causing overflow.
Dr Shiv Singh Rawat, former superintending engineer, irrigation department, Haryana and convenor, Yamuna Bachao Abhiyan said that the capacity of natural drains in Gurugram has been reduced considerably due to encroachment.
“Following the discovery, directions have been issued by the authority to repair the gates and make them function properly,” a senior GMDA official said Around 80 mm of rainfall on Monday caused heavy waterlogging on Sohna Road and adjoining areas, resulting in a traffic gridlock. The best option is to deploy manpower at these gates at time of rainfall,” he said. On Wednesday, Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh discussed the issue with Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. A spot check by HT on Thursday found gaps in the gate on the Badshahpur drain, although it had been fully shut. At the Medanta underpass and hospital road, which were heavily waterlogged on Monday, GMDA officials found that a stormwater drain constructed across the Tau Devi Lal drain was not connected to other surface and stormwater drains in the vicinity, leading to waterlogging. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, GMDA CEO PC Meena inspected the affected locations and issued directions to address the issues.
