The deputy commissioner of Gurgaon has directed the executive engineer of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to get rainwater harvesting pits cleaned with the support of the city's RWAs. They have also been instructed to submit a report on the work at the earliest.
DS Dhesi, Haryana chief secretary, held a meeting with MCG officials last week and directed them to finish monsoon preparations well in advance to avoid any waterlogging.
MCG officials said they had already started preparing for the monsoons and had held awareness programmes at DLF Phase IV, South City I, South City II, sectors 7, 10A, 21 and 22, with the NGO Gurgaon Action Plan (GAP).
“MCG XENs, or executive engineers, are identifying potential rainwater harvesting pits and making them functional before the arrival of the monsoons," said SS Rohilla, spokesperson of MCG. "Recycling not only ensures water during emergencies but also makes sure residents do not depend on only the groundwater table, which is anyway fast declining.”
Last year in the monsoons, the city faced a terrible waterlogging crisis, forcing residents to be stuck in traffic jams for almost three to four hours. State and MCG officials have been working on deadlines and issuing multiple directions to ensure there is no repeat of last year's fiasco.
V Umashankar, MCG commissioner, has also given National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) a June 15 deadline to complete all drainage-related projects on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway.
Two months back, Dhesi had directed MCG officials to assess the city's readiness for the monsoons and work out if they needed any assistance from the government for finances and manpower.