GURGAON: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rejected GMDA’s proposal to construct a stormwater drain and a culvert crossing on NH8.The rejection, citing serious design flaws and failure to meet mandatory road and safety guidelines, early this month put the project on hold until revised drawings and cost estimates are submitted for fresh approval.One of the biggest concerns raised was the method suggested to build the culvert across NH8. “GMDA submitted the plan to lay three piped culverts across the highway. The plan involved digging up a portion of the busy highway. This is not possible, as it could severely disrupt traffic, increase the risk of accidents and create long jams,” an NHAI official said.A GMDA official said, “We shared our proposed plan with NHAI, which has some observations. The construction of the culvert falls under NHAI’s scope. We are going forward with the construction of the stormwater drain, while NHAI can redesign the culvert as per its assessment and requirement.”The proposal was meant to carry rainwater from Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to the Badshapur drain through the service road near Narsinghpur and across NH8. However, NHAI said the plan could not be approved in its present form, as it did not comply with MoRTH (ministry of road transport and highways) and IRC (Indian Roads Congress) norms.According to NHAI officials, the proposal was turned down after independent experts found that important details were missing or unclear in the drawings submitted by GMDA.The plan, officials said, did not clearly show how much water the RCC box-type drain could safely carry, how deep or high the structure would be, or how it would be maintained in the future. Instead of building a new crossing, NHAI’s experts suggested that rainwater could be redirected into an already existing culvert on NH8 and then discharged into the Badshapur drain. This would avoid digging up the highway and reduce inconvenience to commuters.NHAI also pointed out that parts of the proposed drain were too close to the road, which could pose safety risks to vehicles and pedestrians. In some places, the drain was planned to remain open without proper covers or railings, raising concerns about accidents and public safety.“While we are ready to construct the culvert, its design needs to be provided by GMDA to ensure that the stormwater is carried from the culvert to the drain. Determining the required levels for proper flow can be assessed by GMDA,” the NHAI official said.While GMDA planned a permanent drainage solution to tackle chronic waterlogging near Narsingpur, officials acknowledged that the issue cannot be fully resolved without a culvert to carry stormwater from the Delhi-Jaipur carriageway, where flooding is more severe.
