Gurugram, April 26 (NationPress) The Haryana Industry and Commerce Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, presided over a crucial review meeting on Saturday with officials from the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to address the persistent issue of waterlogging during the monsoon season in Gurugram.

During the discussion, various strategies were analyzed to evaluate the progress made and to confront the ongoing challenges.

The Minister emphasized that achieving a waterlogging-free Gurugram is a shared duty and not merely an objective.

He noted that the critical waterlogging points identified by both the corporation and the authority require clear accountability for the responsible officers, ensuring that necessary actions are taken in cases of negligence.

To effectively tackle the issue, he recommended prioritizing essential drainage measures and finding a lasting solution to the underlying causes.

"The MCG and GMDA must ensure that updates regarding the initiatives to combat waterlogging and their progress are consistently communicated to my office. Collaboration between both departments is crucial, especially in areas experiencing drain inlet discrepancies," he stated.

Minister Rao instructed the relevant officers to ensure maintenance of the small sewerage network in line with the drainage system.

He pointed out that reports had surfaced about drinking water being misused for park irrigation in several sectors and residential areas, urging immediate action against those responsible, setting a precedent for others.

The Minister also requested an update on the operational status of 41 micro-sewage treatment plants (STPs) located within the Municipal Corporation area and instructed the Regional Pollution Control Board to inspect all STPs within the next 15 days.

Furthermore, he directed officials to initiate legal action against industrial units failing to maintain their STPs.

He urged the corporation officials to activate all non-functional boosters in the corporation area promptly.

During the meeting, GMDA officials informed the Minister about the progress on waterlogging interventions, stating that desilting work is currently underway along a 12 km stretch of stormwater drain, expected to be completed by June 30.

Minister Singh acknowledged that new cleaning contracts have also been awarded in the second phase.

In terms of sewerage system maintenance, 85 km of the network has been cleaned, with ongoing work on 11 km expected to be completed within the designated timeframe.

Officials mentioned that the tender process is active for cleaning 404 rainwater harvesting systems in the district, with all systems scheduled for cleaning by June 10.

Additionally, 74% of the cleaning in a 4,500-meter stretch of the Master Train from Sector-72A to National Highway-48 has been successfully completed.

Corporation Commissioner Ashok Garg provided updates on efforts to clean pedestrian crossings along the national highway, indicating that the corporation is undertaking these tasks and plans to prepare estimates for their maintenance and cleanliness in the future. Currently, out of 41 micro STPs in the corporation area, 28 are functioning optimally.