Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh has said the measures being taken to tackle the city’s chronic waterlogging are only a band-aid solution, while blaming development during the Congress era for construction over old drainage channels that once carried water from the Aravalli Hills to the Yamuna.
“What we are doing right now is essentially a band-aid solution. It offers some relief, but if we block the water in one place, it finds a way out elsewhere,” Singh told ANI on Tuesday.
The remarks came a day after heavy rain brought Gurugram to a standstill, with 75 mm of rainfall recorded between 8 am and 5 pm on August 24. Several parts of the city were severely waterlogged, with traffic disrupted, and school buses stranded for hours. The district administration subsequently advised offices to work from home on August 25.
Singh said Gurugram’s long-standing waterlogging problem was largely linked to development over traditional drains that once carried rainwater from the hills to the Yamuna. “We are still dealing with the consequences of this development that happened during the Congress era today,” he said.
Gurugram lies in a natural basin, while stormwater from the surrounding Aravalli Hills flows towards its urban areas. Rapid urbanisation and construction over traditional drainage channels have further reduced the routes available for water to escape, making the Millenium City vulnerable to flooding during heavy rain.
According to Singh, the only permanent solution is to construct underground tunnels, similar to those built for the Metro, along the paths of the old drains to channel water through its original routes.
The BJP MP said Gurugram needs such underground tunnels to restore the natural flow of water. He asserted that the government was working on a permanent solution and efforts were underway to arrange the necessary funds for constructing the proposed tunnels.
“The government is working on this, and we are arranging the necessary funds,” he said.