Gurgaon: Medanta underpass once again bore the brunt of the city’s perennial waterlogging problem.Authorities on Monday closed it to traffic around 3pm after heavy rain left the passage inundated.This is the fourth time this monsoon season that the facility has been closed to commuters.The underpass was later opened around 9pm after the water level receded.NHAI officials said a continuous flow of rainwater from the Medanta side was entering the underpass after Chaudhary Bakhtawar Singh Road was completely submerged.With the water level on the main road rising significantly, runoff continued to flow into the underpass despite pumping operations.NHAI has deployed four 20-HP pumps to drain the accumulated water and has also closed the backflow valve to prevent water from flowing back into the underpass.However, officials said the pumping operation has been complicated by the continued inflow from the submerged road.With heavy flooding on Sohna Road and Rajiv Chowk, commuters said the closure of the underpass has forced them to be stuck in a traffic jam for one hour. “Because the underpass was closed, I was forced to take the Rajiv Chowk turn to go towards Delhi, but traffic was barely moving at the intersection. Every time there is heavy rain, the authorities simply close the underpass. They know where the problem lies, yet they seem unable to resolve it,” said Saurabh Yaduvanshi, a resident of Sector 48.Officials said the immediate challenge was the volume of water flowing from the adjoining road into the underpass.Pumping operations were continuing to clear the water, while measures are also being planned to prevent rainwater from entering the structure during future spells.The authorities said the non-return valve at the site has already been replaced.A proposal is also being worked out to extend the underpass roof so that rainwater does not fall directly into the open portion of the underpass.The existing roof sheet covering, which has been damaged at some place, is also proposed to be replaced and extended to prevent water from entering the facility.Officials said water was entering through gaps in the roof and other points and these are being examined to identify and rectify the sources of water ingress.A permanent drain-pipe connection is also being planned to carry water away from the underpass and prevent backflow.The underpass currently has four pumps, while additional pumping equipment was also being deployed by NHAI to clear the facility for traffic movement.“A large volume of water accumulate on the adjoining road and flow towards the underpass. We are coordinating with the local civic agencies to preventing water from entering, while intervention like roof extensions of the structure, drainage arrangements and other structural rectification is being examined,” an NHAI official said.The repeated closure of the underpass this monsoon has caused inconvenience to commuters and highlighted the vulnerability of the stretch to waterlogging during heavy rain.
