Waterlogging at Sector 10 road during heavy rain in Gurgaon.Gurgaon: Every monsoon, large parts of the city struggle with severe waterlogging, overflowing sewers, and choked stormwater drains, exposing gaps in the city’s drainage infrastructure.MCG routinely undertakes desilting of drains and sewer lines ahead of the rainy season to prevent flooding. However, a review of several such projects has revealed significant delays and slow execution, with many works showing little progress months after being approved.According to data accessed by TOI, many “priority” projects — including drain construction and sewer and stormwater drains’ desilting across areas such as Sector 10, Kanhai, Sushant Lok, and Sector 45 — have seen a sluggish pace of work despite tenders being awarded months ago.MCG has issued show-cause notices to some contractors and flagged encroachments and utility conflicts as additional hurdles affecting project timelines.One such project is the construction of a 2.24 km box-type stormwater drain in Sector 10, aimed at improving stormwater discharge in the area. The project received administrative approval in Nov last year after clearance from the finance and contracts committee. However, the work has only recently moved beyond paperwork and remains at an early stage of execution, with progress recorded between 0% and 25%.During the review meeting held recently, the MCG commissioner, Pradeep Dahiya, expressed displeasure over the delay in allotting the tender, stating that the project could have started much earlier if administrative processes had moved faster. The project has a completion deadline of April 30, but progress remains minimal.In Kanhai village, desilting of 5.84 km of sewer lines across several stretches was awarded to a contractor on Aug 2, 2025, with a completion deadline of March-end this year. The work has progressed slowly, prompting MCG to issue a show-cause notice to the contractor on March 12 and impose liquidated damages.Similarly, a contractor tasked with desilting 13.4 km of sewer lines in Sector 45, which was also awarded on Aug 2, 2025, has made only 25–50% progress against the March 31 deadline. A show-cause notice has been issued in this case as well.In Sushant Lok C Block, desilting of 11 km of sewer lines across C, D, and E blocks was allotted on Aug 28 last year with a deadline of Feb 28, which has already passed. The contractor was issued a show-cause notice on March 12 and has now been directed to complete the remaining work by the end of March.“I have directed officials to ensure that all desilting works are completed before the monsoon. Any failure to meet the deadline will invite strict action against both the contractors and the officials responsible,” said the MCG commissioner.A similar pattern has been observed in Basai, where a sewer line project covering 0.8 km remains in its preliminary stage despite being formally allotted on Jan 26 this year. Officials noted that while the contract has been awarded, on-ground activity remains minimal. The project’s target completion date is Aug 27.Among the most striking observations in the report relates to the condition of sewer infrastructure in LIG Colony. Officials noted that cleaning operations there have been severely restricted because residents have built structures directly above the sewer line. Rooms, staircases, and boundary walls constructed over the alignment have blocked access to the underground network.While manholes have been cleared, the main sewer line itself cannot be cleaned due to these encroachments, leaving the system vulnerable to blockages. Officials suggested enforcement action to remove the structures so that the sewer line can be properly maintained. The deadline for addressing the issue has been set for April 16.In Narsinghpur, a new sewer line project was allotted on Jan 27 and work began on March 12. The target completion date is Aug 17, though the site is particularly vulnerable to severe waterlogging during the monsoon. The MCG commissioner is expected to visit the site to review progress.At Naharpur Rupa, a sewer desilting project spanning nearly 7 km was launched to clear clogged lines near a govt primary school. However, progress was found to be sluggish, with only a portion of the work completed during the scheduled period. MCG imposed a penalty of Rs 2.9 lakh on the contractor in Oct 2025. Officials now expect the work to be completed by the end of April.Officials also discussed operational challenges at several locations, including local resistance and complications arising from existing underground utilities. In Tigra village, a sewer line cleaning and desilting project near the community centre has achieved only about 10% progress, even though the work order was issued on Feb 25 this year. Officials indicated that if the pace does not improve, the remaining work may be transferred to another agency.A trunk sewer replacement project near Islampur has also slowed due to the presence of underground electricity cables. Engineers said excavation cannot proceed without coordination with the power utility. The work was allotted on Feb 4 this year and has a deadline of June 30, but progress so far remains between 0% and 25%.
