GMDA commissions Rs 105-crore Leg-4 stormwater drain to prevent Gurugram flooding
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has commissioned a new 4.3-kilometer stormwater drain running from Vatika Chowk to Sector 37D to prevent chronic monsoon flooding along the Southern Peripheral Road, Hero Honda Chowk, and Rajiv Chowk. The Rs 105-crore "Leg-4" drain became operational on Saturday as the monsoon arrived in the Delhi-NCR region.
Designed to structurally address the city's annual flooding woes, the newly built reinforced cement concrete (RCC) box drain acts as a parallel channel to the overburdened Badshahpur drain. It has a carrying capacity of 1,400 cusecs and is engineered to divert excess rainwater away from the main channel, which frequently overflows during heavy downpours.
A regulatory gate has been installed at Vatika Chowk to manage the water diversion. During intense rainfall, excess stormwater will be routed through the new 4.3-kilometer channel, which eventually merges back with the Badshahpur drain near the Ramprastha Society.
The Leg-4 drain will serve as a dedicated drainage line for the densely populated residential and commercial corridors along the Southern Peripheral Road. According to GMDA officials, the project is expected to directly alleviate waterlogging in several key catchment areas, including Subhash Chowk, Bakhtawar Chowk, Mayfield Garden Road, Gurugram University Road, Artemis Hospital Road, Kanhai Chowk, Sector 44, and Sectors 68 to 80.
On Sunday, the new system underwent a limited test when the city received 35 mm of rain. Areas such as the Subhash Chowk–Hero Honda corridor, Artemis Road, Lotus Valley School Road, and the Vatika Chowk to Masjid Road stretch on the Southern Peripheral Road experienced minimal waterlogging, which cleared quickly as the showers receded.
GMDA Chief Executive Officer PC Meena stated that the project represents a shift toward long-term flood control infrastructure rather than temporary solutions. However, officials noted that while the new infrastructure can handle normal rainfall, any intense downpours exceeding 100 mm in a few hours will still require supplemental efforts, such as pumps and suction pipes.
To address other chronic bottlenecks, GMDA spokesperson Neha Sharma stated that separate projects are underway. This includes the Narsinghpur drain along the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway for Hero Honda Chowk, and a Rs 4.75 crore drain near Rajiv Chowk connecting to the Sohna Road master drain. Through these infrastructure upgrades, the GMDA has reduced the city's waterlogging points from 90 in 2019 to 30 in 2024.
