The Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) has identified 273 locations for setting up rainwater harvesting systems as part of a citywide plan to improve rainwater management and tackle waterlogging in low lying areas.
MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said technology was being extensively used to identify waterlogging hotspots and gaps in the existing drainage network. A drone survey was conducted to prepare an elevation model of low lying areas, while stormwater drains were mapped using geographic information system technology.
The exercise was carried out after an aquifer mapping study conducted in 2012 to assess the movement and accumulation of rainwater in Gurugram. The MCG later engaged IIT Gandhinagar to study the city’s drainage pattern and identify areas vulnerable to water accumulation.
As part of the study, around 20 sensors were installed at different locations. The data collected through the sensors was combined with drone survey findings to track the movement of rainwater and identify locations where water accumulated or failed to drain properly.
A dashboard was also developed to map rainwater movement, while the capacity of existing drains was assessed to identify possible bottlenecks during heavy rainfall.
Dahiya said stormwater lines would be laid wherever required, particularly along roads measuring 9 to 12 metres in width, where dedicated drainage systems were generally absent and rainwater flowed through gravity. Similar drainage infrastructure would be provided in low lying areas facing drainage deficiencies.
The MCG has also secured 272 acres of land near Wazirabad following a legal battle. The civic body plans to develop open ponds and underground tanks on the land to conserve rainwater for use during lean periods.
At present, 418 rainwater harvesting systems are operational across Gurugram.
Dahiya said 74 ponds had been dewatered and revived ahead of the monsoon on the directions of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The civic body has also deployed 169 pumps in low lying areas to drain accumulated water.
He said waterlogging in the city was largely localised and cited Bahrampur village as an example of a targeted intervention. Rainwater from the village had earlier flowed towards National Highway 48, leading to water accumulation on the highway. A dedicated drain has now been constructed to divert the flow and prevent waterlogging there.