Gurgaon: Only about 38% of the city’s stormwater drains have been cleaned so far, while over 62% remain clogged or uncleared, according to data compiled by MCG. The total drain length is 566km, of which 213km has been cleaned, leaving 353km still pending.Division-wise data highlights the scale of the backlog, raising serious questions about monsoon preparedness in the city which has seen roads turning into rivers and traffic jams running into hours during rains.In division 1A, covering wards 9, 10, 16 and 17, 22.5km of the total 51.6km has been cleaned, leaving 29.1km pending. Division 1B, with a network of 100.2km, has seen only 31km cleared, leaving 69km still to be cleaned.In division 2A, 5.3km of drains have been cleaned out of 18.5km, leaving 13.2km pending. Division 2B has 11.2km cleaned out of 30.1km, leaving about 19km yet to be cleared.The largest drainage network lies in division 3A, where the total drain length is 173km. Of this, 74.5km has been cleaned and data shows that 95.5km is yet to be cleaned, making it the single biggest backlog among all divisions. In this division, there is a mismatch in the data, with a gap of 3km reported in ward 13.Division 4A has a total drain length of 120.5km, of which 45.8km has been cleaned, leaving 54.5km pending as per data. In data here as well, a gap of 20.3km was noted. In division 4B, 22.8km out of 72.13km has been cleaned, leaving around 49.3km still to be cleared.MCG chief engineer Vijay Dhaka said, “We have taken up the cleaning of stormwater drains and the remaining drains will be cleaned by May-end.”The report also indicates that preparations to deal with waterlogging are incomplete. Several locations vulnerable to waterlogging have been identified where pumping machinery is yet to be deployed, however, tenders for the same are still under process or awaiting administrative approval.In division 2A, the tender process for deploying pumps is ongoing, with an expected award date of April 30 and proposed deployment by May 15. Areas identified include Babupur, Dharampur, Bajghera Firni, Laxman Vihar flyover and Sector 4 market.In division 1B, locations around Sector 33, Naharpur Rupa and Sector 47 are awaiting final approvals for pumping arrangements.In division 3A, pumping machinery has been proposed for areas near Ambedkar Bhawan, Dundahera, Sarhaul, Sector 21, Sector 22B, Palam Vihar and Sector 15 (part 2) and estimates are under preparation or awaiting clearance. In division 4B, arrangements for pumping machinery for Sector 28 and South City main market road are still under process.“The tender for cleaning stormwater drains in my ward had to be floated three times before it was awarded to a contractor two days ago. The work should have begun earlier. Initially, no contractor was willing to take it up,” ward 31 councillor Dalip Kumar Sahani said, adding that contractors often secure work by quoting the lowest bid and when costs are underestimated to win contracts, work is delayed or not completed properly.“These works should have been at an advanced stage by now. After cleaning, engineers should have had time to assess the effectiveness before the monsoon. If needed, additional machinery and resources could have been deployed,” he said.
