Gurgaon: Illegal use of stormwater drain infrastructure as access roads in parts of the city has come under the scanner of GMDA, which has identified multiple unauthorised access points being used by residents and commuters.One such stretch is in Sector 102 along Leg-3 drain, also known as Badshapur drain, where commuters have been using the 900-metre-long drain corridor to travel between Upper Dwarka Expressway and Dhanwapur Road. Officials said residential complexes and commercial establishments have created unauthorised access points over the drain, effectively turning a critical stormwater channel into an unofficial transit route.A similar situation was found along the drain near Sector 99, where commuters continue to use the corridor as an access route despite restrictions imposed earlier by the authority. Repeated vehicular movement has damaged portions of the concrete slab covering the drain, with reinforcement bars exposed at several locations and cave-ins reported in some stretches.According to GMDA, the drain was constructed as part of the city’s stormwater management network and was never designed to support vehicular traffic. Officials said continuous movement of vehicles is damaging the structure and could compromise its integrity.In Jan this year, GMDA blocked an unauthorised access route to Dwarka Expressway over the Badshapur drain by installing jersey barriers in Sector 99. The move followed damage to concrete slabs caused by the movement of trucks and dumpers operating from nearby ready-mix concrete plants. However, some barriers were later removed and vehicles resumed using the route, officials said.GMDA warned that continued misuse of the drain infrastructure could affect its ability to safely carry stormwater and increase the risk of waterlogging and flooding during heavy rainfall. Officials also raised concerns over public safety, as the concrete slabs covering portions of the drain are not designed to withstand sustained vehicular loads.Badshapur drain is one of the city’s three major stormwater channels and plays a crucial role in carrying runoff during the monsoon season. It serves a catchment area of nearly 24,100 hectares from Ghata village to the Najafgarh drain.“We have issued notices to entities in Sector 102 that have created unauthorised access over the drain. We plan to close these points and are preparing estimates for boundary walls to permanently prevent illegal access and protect the infrastructure,” a GMDA official said.Residents, however, said the routes emerged because of inadequate connectivity and urged authorities to provide alternative access before restricting movement.“If these accesses are closed, residents should be given a practical alternative route. We understand the safety concerns and illegality of using these stretches, but thousands of people depend on them for daily travel. Even the revenue road in Sector 99, which links the sector to Dwarka Expressway, is currently impassable,” said Santosh Singh, a resident of Pareena Laxmi Apartments.
