Monsoon: Mock drill in Gurgaon to avoid waterlogging as IMD predicts widespread rain and thundershowers

The IMD has stated that the likely formation of a low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal around June 11 and its movement towards north-westerly direction may lead to `fairly widespread to widespread rain and thundershowers over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and west Uttar Pradesh on June 12 and June 13.`

New Delhi: Even as the "widespread rainfall" is likely to bring down the mercury and pollution levels in Delhi on the weekend, the teams of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have jointly started preparations to deal with the waterlogging problem during monsoon season in Gurugram.

The teams of GMDA and NHAI on Wednesday jointly organised a mock drill at Hero Honda Chowk and Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram to avoid waterlogging in underpasses during monsoon season in Gurugram.

Pradeep Sharma, Chief Engineer, Infrastructure-II Division of GMDA, told IANS that the authority organised the mock drill to check the water drainage system in all Gurugram underpasses ahead of the monsoon season.

Sharma said that similar mock drills would be conducted at other underpasses and major places of the city like Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower, Shankar Chowk and Subhash Chowk, adding "If there is any deficiency, it will be resolved before the monsoon session."

GMDA Superintending Engineer Rajesh Kumar Bansal was quoted by IANS as saying that the GMDA is working seriously at all levels to ensure that there is no problem of waterlogging in the city.

Bansal further said that with an initiative of the CEO of the Development Authority, Sudhir Rajpal, the dispute which has been going on for years on 33 meters of Badshahpur drain has also been resolved. After the resolution of this dispute, it will be possible to drain the water with a full capacity of 2,300 cusecs from the present 800 cusecs and it will bring huge relief near the Hero Honda Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway.

The IMD, however, has stated that the likely formation of a low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal around June 11 and its movement towards north-westerly direction may lead to "fairly widespread to widespread rain and thundershowers over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and west Uttar Pradesh on June 12 and June 13." 

It also predicted 'heavy' rainfall at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on June 13. 

(With Agency Inputs)