'No big issues': Govt plays down Gurgaon's civic woes as city battles water, waste, and chaos; nothing major, Khattar tells Lok Sabha
NEW DELHI: Submerged roads, stranded vehicles, and people navigating flood-hit areas have become a familiar sight in Gurgaon after every heavy spell of rain. Piles of garbage, roadside waste, and burning dumps add to the civic woes.
However, the Union housing and urban affairs ministry told Lok Sabha on Thursday that "Gurgaon does not face any major civic infrastructure issues, except for instances of waterlogging during heavy rains," attributing the information to the state govt.
In a written response to a question from Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on whether the city faces serious civic concerns like waterlogging despite being a major corporate hub, Union urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Gurgaon's topography is shaped by the Aravalli hills to the east and the Najafgarh drain to the northwest.
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"The elevation difference of about 78 metres between the Najafgarh drain and the Aravalli hills on the southeast of Gurgaon city has created a natural gradient for water flow, which was historically controlled through a series of bunds constructed in the late 19th century, such as Chakarpur, Jharsa, Wazirabad, and Ghata bunds. However, rapid urbanisation has rendered many of the bunds obsolete and reduced pond networks, impacting traditional drainage systems," he said.
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According to the reply, about 90 critical waterlogging spots were identified in 2019, and 60 of them were dealt with by 2024 through various interventions. These included linking stormwater to drains, enhancing drain connectivity for outfall disposal, desilting, constructing check dams and water channels, and rejuvenating natural creeks.
Khattar said Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has spent Rs 3,602 crore on urban civic infrastructure in the past five years, while the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has spent another Rs 230.8 crore.
The measures taken included desilting 544 km of drains and deploying 141 heavy-duty pumps and 77 suction tankers.
Despite all this, the city has witnessed major waterlogging episodes again this monsoon, severely disrupting public life.
Though the ministry did not make any reference to the garbage crisis in the city, it may be recalled that in June last year Haryana govt had declared a "solid waste exigency" to urgently tackle the worsening garbage situation and a special high-level committee was also formed under the Solid Waste Environment Exigency Programme. On the issues of drinking water and sewage management, the ministry said that Gurgaon's daily water demand of 720 million litres in 2025 is met through canal (670 MLD) and tubewell (50 MLD) sources.
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