Gurgaon: Gurgaon MP and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh has urged Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to take urgent measures to address recurring waterlogging in the city and protect its natural drainage network, warning that rapid urbanisation and encroachments on natural water channels are aggravating the problem.In a letter to chief minister, Singh referred to discussions held with officials and experts following the waterlogging witnessed during the monsoon in Gurgaon. He said GMC had sought expert inputs from IIT Gandhinagar, while GMDA had also obtained advice from experts, including a Japanese agency, on managing rainwater and flooding.Singh said around 20 acres of land belonging to the tourism department near the Badshapur drain could be developed as a water-retention or water-holding area. According to the letter, the land is surrounded by natural features and could potentially be used to temporarily hold excess rainwater during heavy rainfall. He suggested that such a measure could help reduce the pressure on Gurgaon’s drainage system and minimise waterlogging.The minister also highlighted prolonged water accumulation on agricultural land in several villages, including Daulatabad, Dhankot, Khedki Majra and Chandu. He said farmers had been unable to cultivate parts of their land because of persistent waterlogging, while in some areas rainwater had remained stagnant for years.Singh further pointed to the increasing dependence on groundwater in Gurgaon. Referring to a NITI Aayog report, he said the groundwater level in Gurgaon had fallen from about 18 metres in 2004 to around 38 metres in 2025. The letter also cited groundwater extraction levels, saying the figure for Gurgaon was substantially higher than the national and Haryana averages.In the second part of the letter, Singh referred to an assessment by experts from IIT Gandhinagar and GMDA regarding the causes of waterlogging. The experts, he said, identified obstruction of natural drainage channels, including underground water tunnels and pipes, as one of the factors responsible for flooding.They also pointed to construction and development over natural drainage routes, including areas where parks and open spaces had been created, as affecting the movement of rainwater. The minister said proper identification and restoration of these natural drains was therefore essential.Singh suggested that Gurgaon’s natural drains should be identified through satellite imagery and subsequently restored by removing encroachments. He also stressed the need to improve arrangements for disposal of rainwater generated by the city’s expanding industrial and residential areas.He urged the state govt to act on the recommendations and protect Gurgaon’s remaining natural drainage channels to reduce the recurring problem of waterlogging.
