Gurgaon: Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation will build a surface drain along Narsingpur on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to address chronic waterlogging during heavy rain. The project, estimated at around Rs 7 crore, will include widening of the service road along with a 15-metre lane to ease traffic movement.A heavy downpour often submerges the low-lying stretch forcing people to wade through knee-deep water along the adjoining service road. Vehicles crawl through the stretch, creating long tailbacks. However, relief from waterlogging is unlikely this year, as the construction is expected to take around 12 months to complete once the work is allotted.In the first phase, a 1.2 km reinforced cement concrete (RCC) drain will be constructed along the stretch. HSIIDC has floated the tender for the project and plans to begin work next month. The proposed drain will channel rainwater accumulating along the Delhi–Jaipur carriageway and divert it towards the Badshahpur drain through a culvert.While HSIIDC will construct the drain, the culvert required to carry the water across the expressway will be built by NHAI.The culvert design earlier faced objections from NHAI, which rejected the initial proposal prepared by GMDA, citing serious design flaws and failure to meet mandatory safety guidelines. GMDA proposed the plan to lay three piped culverts across the highway. One of the biggest concerns raised was the method suggested to build the culvert across NH8 by excavation, which could disrupt traffic on the expressway.GMDA officials said the design is now modified to accommodate the box-pushing technique, a method that allows construction of underground structures without blocking traffic above.”NHAI has sought adequate cushioning, which is provided to facilitate box pushing so that the culvert can be constructed without affecting traffic on the expressway. Now NHAI will decide how they are going to proceed, as construction of the culvert falls under their jurisdiction,” a GMDA official said.In parallel, GMDA is already executing another drainage project to carry stormwater from Narsingpur to the Badshahpur drain. The Authority is constructing the permanent RCC drain estimated at Rs 5 crore. While the project is supposed to be concluded by Aug this year, officials said efforts are being made to wrap it up before the onset of monsoon.Last year, GMDA created a 750 m-long temporary drain to divert rainwater from the expressway towards the Badshapur drain. While the makeshift arrangement offered partial relief, waterlogging continued, especially on the Delhi–Jaipur side.Over the years, civic agencies have made multiple interventions to tackle the problem, including laying pipelines, installing pumping machinery and constructing wall-like barriers along parts of the expressway to prevent water from entering the carriageway. However, these measures failed to resolve the drainage bottleneck.
