A mix of factors led to Gurgaon gridlock: CM

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, July 30

Conceding that ill-maintained drainage was the reason behind the waterlogging in Gurgaon, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today held the district administration partially responsible for bringing the Millennium City to a grinding halt.

At a press conference after the all-party meeting to discuss the golden jubilee celebrations of Haryana’s formation, Khattar said a clearer picture would emerge after senior officers Keshni Anand Arora and Alok Nigam submit a report.

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He said while the Badshahpur drain had not been desilted, thereby reducing its water-holding capacity and resulting in overflow into the city, that very evening a big group of Kanwariyas passing through the city and the sudden rush after taxi drivers of Delhi called off their strike, led to the traffic build-up. 

“Also, the administration failed to respond on time. Then, that very day, two gates of the drain taking the water from Haryana to Delhi were closed,” Khattar maintained, adding that his government would take all short-term measures on a war-footing to ensure a repeat does not happen. Besides, it is not only in Haryana that the heavy rain disrupted life, Bengaluru and Assam, too, faced similar situations, he said.