Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh on Wednesday raised Gurugram’s recurring waterlogging problem with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, calling for “concrete decisions” instead of piecemeal measures to tackle flooding that has repeatedly disrupted life in the Millennium City during the monsoon.
Singh, the BJP MP from Gurugram, met Saini at the chief minister’s residence and said the problem had become a perennial one, with parts of the city going under water after heavy rainfall virtually every year. The meeting came days after around an hour of heavy rain inundated several parts of Gurugram on Monday, slowing traffic on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway and leaving vehicles stranded on important arterial roads.
Minister seeks accountability
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Singh said he had asked the chief minister to fix accountability among officials responsible for managing Gurugram’s drainage infrastructure.
“It has become a perennial issue for Gurugram. Every year this happens,” Singh said, adding that lasting solutions would require concrete decisions.
The Union minister of state for statistics and programme implementation said Gurugram’s drainage problems had worsened over the past two decades as rapid urbanisation altered natural channels through which rainwater once flowed.
According to Singh, drains and streams descending from the hills and carrying water towards Drain No. 8 have been obstructed over the years by colonies, roads and illegal encroachments by builders.
He acknowledged that removing existing development would now be difficult and instead suggested providing adequate funds to construct underground drains at places where natural channels have been blocked. Such an intervention, he said, could help restore the old drainage routes.
Singh argued that water would inevitably find another route when its natural path was obstructed, making isolated interventions inadequate. He also suggested bringing in technical experts, including specialists from the Indian Institutes of Technology, to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for Gurugram.
Heavy rain exposes problem
Monday’s downpour once again exposed the city’s vulnerability to intense spells of rain. Waterlogging was reported at Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk and several localities in old Gurugram.
Traffic movement slowed considerably at several locations, while vehicles were caught in accumulated water around Rajiv Chowk. School buses and ambulances were also affected by waterlogging on Sohna Road.
Recurring flooding has become a major civic concern in Gurugram, where rapid construction and expansion have placed increasing pressure on drainage and other urban infrastructure.
Singh said the problem could no longer be addressed through individual or temporary measures and stressed the need for a comprehensive technical solution.
Congress targets BJP
The issue also triggered a political confrontation, with the opposition Congress accusing the BJP government of allowing Gurugram’s infrastructure to deteriorate.
Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the BJP had “completely ruined” Gurugram, which he said had been developed into a modern IT hub during the Congress government.
Hooda claimed that even relatively short spells of rain now leave roads, streets and residential areas inundated, while drainage and sewerage systems struggle to cope.
He also rejected attempts to blame previous Congress governments for the situation, arguing that the BJP had been in power in Haryana and at the Centre for around 12 years and had sufficient time to address the city’s infrastructure problems.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also attacked the BJP government, claiming that Gurugram had deteriorated from a major growth centre into a city increasingly associated with waterlogging, damaged roads and traffic disruption.
The political exchange has again put the spotlight on the infrastructure challenges facing one of India’s biggest corporate and technology hubs. Singh maintained that only a comprehensive approach—backed by adequate funding, official accountability and technical expertise—could provide a lasting solution to Gurugram’s recurring monsoon flooding.