From Kuragram to Jalgram, BJP has ruined Gurugram: Raj Babbar

Tribune News Service

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, June 30

Accusing the state government of indifference and inefficiency in handling the waterlogging problem, Congress leader Raj Babbar claimed that the BJP government had turned the Millennium City from ‘Kuragram’ to ‘Jalgram’.

Regarding the recent waterlogging crisis in the city, Babbar said despite tall claims of resolving the problem and spending crores on it, the BJP government couldn’t get even one infrastructural problem resolved.

“Till now, it was ‘Kuragram’ now it is ‘Jalgram’. Despite being known internationally, a basic infrastructural issue such as waterlogging has not be addressed. Anti-flood meetings are being held regularly. The city faced its first waterlogging problem some eight years ago and so far, no solution has been found, infact the situation has worsened over the years,” said Babbar.

Managed situation well

We do realise that there is a problem, but there has been considerable improvement in the last eight years. Even on June 28, water did accumulate in many areas, but was quickly drained as officials managed the situation well. —Rao Inderjit Singh, Gurugram MP

No solution so far

Despite being known internationally, a basic infrastructural issue such as waterlogging has not be addressed. Anti-flood meetings are being held regularly. The city faced its first waterlogging problem some eight years ago and so far no solution has been found . —Raj Babbar, Congress leader

“We do realise that there is a problem, but there has been considerable improvement in the last eight years. Even on June 28, water did accumulate in many areas, but was quickly drained as officials managed the situation well. However, we are working towards freeing Gurugram of waterlogging and have asked the officials to review and resolve the problem. We will soon be holding another review meeting and like sanitation crisis, we will also resolve the problem of waterlogging this year,” said Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh.

It has been eight years since the “Gurujam” of 2016, when the commuters were stuck in a mammoth gridlock on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for nearly 16 hours. The rain flooded all arterial roads, inundated houses and washed away the city’s image of “Millennium City”. Every year, civic agencies promise a waterlogged-free monsoon, but residents say little has improved and new waterlogging spots emerge after every spell of rain. A lasting solution to waterlogging still eludes Gurugram.

Even after eight years, areas such as Narsingpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Khandsa, Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector 38 stretch, district courts, Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Rajiv Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Udyog Vihar, and Sohna Road and underpasses continue to be vulnerable to flash floods.

The prime culprit in a majority of cases for the last few years has been the main stormwater drain— the Badshahpur drain— which overflows near the Hero Honda Chowk, bringing traffic on the expressway to a halt, which triggers a domino effect. While the GMDA has manged to tackle this, the new challenges such as clogged drains with debris and lack of pre-monsoon drain cleaning have cropped up. The authorities blame bowl shaped topography of the city for waterlogging.

District administration officials said the eastern (towards Delhi) and the southern (towards Manesar) sides of Gurugram have ridges acting as embankments with an average elevation of 280-290 metres while the main town sits at an average elevation of 220 metres. Because of that, water flows down into the city from both sides creating severe waterlogging within the city limits.

DC Nishant Yadav said Rajiv Chowk, Civil Lines, Mini-Secretariat, Civil Court, Sector 48, Sector 52, Sector 15, Sadar Bazaar, Iffco Chowk, Sector 10A, Sector 23 and Dhankot are low-lying areas where water from neighbouring areas accumulates. However, environmentalists differ.

“The city was always like that even before 2016. It is encroachment in the Aravallis, illegal construction and lost check dams and stormwater drains, which has led to flash floods. Unchecked commercialisation and real estate boom is dooming the city. Till we save the forest, there will be floods and waterlogging,” said Jitender Bhadana of ‘Save Aravali Trust’.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#BJP #Congress #Gurugram