MCG spent Rs 500cr to clean, build drains in 9 years, but roads are still flood points

Time of India

3 days ago

Gurgaon: This is a "colossal waste" of taxpayers' money, said Sanjay Lal Mathur, a resident of Ambience Lagoon, on Thursday. "Nothing has changed since 2016," added Mathur, while referring to Wednesday's rain that exposed the utter failure of the efforts of MCG, which has spent a staggering Rs 503 crore on the city's drainage infrastructure over the past nine years.
Even as the city, once again, succumbed to waterlogging on Wednesday, it would be worthwhile to take a look at the funds spent on the infrastructure, which seems to have gone down the drain.
In the first quarter of 2025-2026, MCG has so far spent Rs 15.7 crore on the repair, maintenance and development of stormwater drains and sewerage lines in the city. In the last fiscal year, Rs 74 crore — a quarter of the nine-year's expenditure — was poured into fixing and building new sewerage lines and stormwater drains, according to data accessed by TOI.
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In fact, Rs 256.21 crore — the highest expenditure — has been spent on sewer line upkeep and repairs from 2016-17 to June 2025. The corporation utilised Rs 222.32 crore for constructing new drainage systems, while Rs 24.83 crore was spent on maintaining and fixing stormwater drains within the same duration.
Residents said that the civic body is either hopelessly inept at managing the city's drainage or is siphoning off funds meant for public welfare.
They said they deserve better than flooded roads and squandered crores.
"There has been no change since 2016 when we witnessed the infamous Gurujam. Every inch of the city has been sold to the builders, resulting in haphazard development, concretisation of the city and constructing buildings on natural nullahs and catchment areas. While there are multiple agencies, there is no coordination between them," Mathur told TOI.
Making Model Gurugram convener Gauri Sarin said, "My biggest disappointment was the follow-up on a sump in Sushant Lok 1 for which the process started 10 months ago, but the contractor is absconding after completing only half the work. This shows dereliction of duty of a very high order. During this time, however, several transfers happened — from MCG commissioner to chief engineer to executive engineer to junior engineer.
What a shameless way to treat Gurgaon, after it has voted BJP for the third time, sans performance? The govt agencies should stop fooling people. This is a fractured system: both natural and infrastructural."
"The timing of the ULB meeting raises concerns about its scheduling during such a critical period. Questions persist regarding the involvement of various agencies. There are concerns about the significant delays in issuing work orders, particularly when a new MCG commissioner was expected to enhance operational efficiency.
It remains unclear why the repeatedly submitted flooding list to the govt continues to remain unaddressed," she added.
Meanwhile, referring to Wednesday's rain, MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said, "As soon as the rains began, the corporation's teams became active and remained in the field throughout the night. In anticipation of upcoming rains, the teams have been put on alert mode and the control room is actively monitoring the situation.
We appeal to all the residents not to dispose of trash, plastic or any undesirable items in the sewage and drainage lines as this disrupts the water drainage system and can lead to severe waterlogging.
If anyone is found doing so, legal action and fines will be imposed."
Gurgaon resident and former joint secretary, cabinet secretariat, Kundan Lal Sharma said, "The torrential rain in the city has belied all claims of civic agencies about flood control.
As the MCG contract for drain cleaning is yet to be finalised, all internal roads of Sector 21 are having five to six inches of water. The road from Sector 21 market to Ayappa pocket is submerged in 10 to 12 inches of water. About a dozen houses in Dundahera village are drowned in water as the Dundahera drain built at a cost of around Rs 2 crore has not benefited the area.
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"Overall, the efforts of all agencies are suboptimal. MCG has shown no will to address the concerns. Across the city, apathy toward stormwater planning and water body preservation has led to civic systems being overwhelmed and natural ecosystems being erased. This is no longer just poor planning: it is a slow-burning environmental disaster. The time to act is now; otherwise, it will be too late," Sharma added.