With the monsoon approaching, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has stepped up flood-mitigation works at two of the city’s most waterlogging-prone locations — Subhash Chowk and Sheetla Mata Road — to improve stormwater drainage and minimise traffic disruption during heavy rainfall.
The civic agency has undertaken extensive desilting, restoration of stormwater drains, construction of hundreds of additional road gullies and strengthening of drain connectivity as part of its citywide monsoon preparedness plan.
At Subhash Chowk, a chronic waterlogging hotspot that witnesses severe traffic congestion during rains, GMDA has desilted nearly 7.5 km of drainage network. This includes 4.5 km of surface drains from Millennium City Centre to Subhash Chowk and 3 km of surface and master drains from Subhash Chowk to Hero Honda Chowk. Authorities have also restored connections between surface and master drains by removing blockages to ensure the uninterrupted discharge of rainwater into the city’s primary drainage system.
To improve drainage efficiency further, more than 300 new road gullies have been constructed to channel rainwater directly into the stormwater network. The measure is expected to speed up runoff and reduce the risk of prolonged water accumulation on roads.
GMDA Executive Engineer Amit Godara said the drainage network around Subhash Chowk had been comprehensively strengthened ahead of the monsoon. He said the additional road gullies and restored drain connectivity were expected to significantly improve stormwater discharge and reduce waterlogging at the busy junction.
On Sheetla Mata Road, another vulnerable stretch, the authority has made the master drain on the temple side operational after clearing accumulated silt, debris and other obstructions. Additional road gullies are also being constructed to improve drainage from the carriageway.
Meanwhile, extensive cleaning and restoration work is under way on the surface drains opposite Sheetla Mata Temple, where heavy silt deposits and unauthorised sewer connections had severely restricted stormwater flow. GMDA officials said the remaining works were being carried out on priority and the drains were expected to become fully operational by July 10.
The works form part of GMDA’s wider monsoon preparedness programme, under which desilting, drainage maintenance and infrastructure upgrades are being carried out across Gurugram. The initiative aims to improve stormwater management, reduce flooding at vulnerable locations and ensure safer and smoother traffic movement during the rainy season.
