Huda demolition paves way for Badshahpur drain expansion

With monsoon expected to hit Gurugram in the first week of July, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) on Saturday carried out a demolition drive in Khandsa village, paving the way for expansion of Badshahpur drain.

After the ‘maha-jam’ threw traffic out of gear and left scores of commuters stranded on July 28, 2016, the Haryana government had ordered that a 600-metre stretch of Badshahpur drain in Khandsa be widened to ensure storm water does not flood the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, particularly the Hero Honda Chowk.

At present, the drain has a width of 10 metres, and the expansion will help double its breadth to 20 metres, a Huda official said. In 2016, the city was flooded as the Badshahpur drain was choked at Hero Honda Chowk.

A Huda team, led by enforcement officer Hari Singh Jakhar, and accompanied by a police contingent, started the demolition drive amid opposition by owners and local residents. However, despite protests by locals, 4 houses and 3 shops were demolished, Huda officials said. Naib Tehsildar Kartar Singh was appointed the duty magistrate for the exercise.

During the demolition, Jakhar said that some plot owners held a protest demanding alternative plots and compensation. He said the Huda has already awarded them compensation, as their sites were less than 50 square yards. “The compensation was decided as per the Huda’s relief and rehabilitation policy. Only one house is left now in the entire stretch and its owner has agreed to get the house demolished in the next few days,” Jakhar said.

Huda administrator Chander Shekhar Khare said the authority will now expedite the construction of the box type drain in the remaining stretch, as it is vital for discharging rainwater during monsoon. “The claims of two to three property owners need to be settled and this will be done by next week,” he added.

Huda officials said that 35 property owners on the Khandsa stretch have been allotted alternative plots in Sector 37 C. Majority of property owners have vacated the houses on this stretch, they said.

However, the officials conceded that some property owners have yet to get possession of alternative plots.

With over 35 constructions, barring one, removed from the stretch, the Huda officials said that land would be handed over to its engineering wing for expansion of the Badshahpur drain. “The objective is to complete this stretch before the monsoon starts,” Jakhar said.

While the demolition of 35 houses on one side will result in an increase in the drain’s width to 20 metres, another 35 houses need to be razed to extend the width to 30 metres, as planned, officials said.