Gurgaon authorities carry out demolition drive to check breaches at Badshahpur drain

In a bid to control breaches at Badshahpur drain, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) carried out a demolition drive at Ghata Village near the drain on Wednesday. The drive was carried out on the orders of the district magistrate, an MCG official said.

The MCG demolished 800 structures built near the stormwater drain and cleared more than eight acres of land during the drive.

In late July, heavy rainfall and breaches at Badshahpur drain -- the main channel to drain rainwater from the city -- gridlocked the city for more than 48 hours. The drain overflowed and rainwater flowed onto the main roads and NH-8, submerging Gurgaon.

The MCG used Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) technology and an advanced topographic camera fitted on a drone to delineate encroachments and breaches.

Lidar is a technology that surveys and measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser. It shoots rapid amounts of laser rays at a surface. A sensor on the instrument measures the time it took for the ray to deflect and return. It helps in calculating the distance between the camera and the target with higher accuracy. Due to its high penetration level, it has a greater accuracy and constructs a three-dimensional map of the desired surface or terrain.

The survey covered stretches of the drain on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on NH-8, Delhi-Jaipur Expressway and Golf Course Road.

Upon reviewing the map, MCG engineers found that the Badshahpur drain was receiving large amount of sewage flow from areas adjoining Golf Course and Golf Course Extension roads. The engineers identified clogged drains and blocked sewer networks after reviewing the map contours.

“Based on the information, earthmovers were deployed at sites and encroachments were removed in the presence of police. Any kind of encroachment of government land cannot be tolerated and directions have been issued to penalise people who encroach on the site again,” MCG commissioner TL Satyaprakash said.

An MCG official said areas near the drain have seen rampant real estate development, and it became difficult to locate encroachments on village maps and on the ground. Since encroachments could not be marked in the old maps, Lidar survey was used.