india

Updated: Apr 24, 2019 11:22 IST

To ensure Golf Course Extension Road (GCER), one of the most important stretches in the city, is not waterlogged during monsoon this year, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has allotted a work tender to a private concessionaire to clean all drains along the 6.3km stretch, officials said on Tuesday.

The project, which is expected to cost around ₹18 lakh, is important as the GCER serves as a crucial link for commuters travelling towards Delhi, Faridabad and Alwar. For the residents of Gurugram, the stretch also provides connectivity to Golf Course Road, Sohna Road, Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, and MG Road.

Despite its importance, the stretch between Vatika Chowk and Ghata T-point is infamous for its potholes, which, during monsoon, make the GCER one of the most congested roads in the city.

The effect of this was realised on several occasions last year, when the transfer of all master roads and drains from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to the GMDA was still under process, resulting in the tenders for cleaning the drains along the GCER to be delayed.

By the time the tenders were finally allocated, the city had started experiencing pre-monsoon showers, leading to the stretch being heavily waterlogged throughout the monsoon.

“The tenders were allotted before the model code of conduct for the 2019 general elections had been enforced. Hence, work on this project could commence recently. The concessionaire will be responsible for lifting the surplus soil inside and next to the drain, clean surface drains, desilt stormwater drains, and reinforce the concrete slabs with steel to ensure rainwater seamlessly flows inside the drains and there is no waterlogging on the GCER. Tender allotment has been carried out well in advance this year, and the contractor has been given a deadline till June, to finish all the work,” Lalit Arora, chief engineer of the GMDA, said.

GMDA officials further said that fixing drainage along the GCER holds even more importance as they can no longer initiate temporary patch work on the stretch.

In December last year, the GMDA had fixed all the potholes along the GCER by recarpeting it, but the potholes soon reappeared on the road, making the largely unlit stretch extremely dangerous to drive on.

GMDA officials said that during structural integrity tests conducted in November last year, they realised the GCER was damaged to such an extent that it was no longer deemed equipped to handle the weight of heavy vehicles, and needed to be completely relayed.

To this end, GMDA officials are working on compiling a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the stretch, which will also see the six-lane road widened to eight lanes by being expanded to cover the space between the green belts and the road.

Hence, officials said that it is vital that the stormwater drains are desilted to ensure that rainwater does not stagnate on the roads and widen the existing potholes.