Why rain floods city: 59 of 63 bunds gone

TNN | Aug 27, 2016, 01.10 AM IST

Gurgaon: A week after NGT's August 19 direction, asking for a list of bunds (check dams) in the Gurgaon area, the authorities found a list of 63 bunds which had been published under a notification of the forest department in the Haryana Government Gazette, Legislative Supplement, 1972 (a copy is with TOI).

The bunds, located in and around the city, were created by the British to control seasonal floods in villages. They include bunds in Gwal Pahari, Ghata, Jharsa, Medawas, Fazilpur, Ghairatpur Bas, Naurangpur Manesar, Kasan, Ghamrauj, Raisina, Sohna, Dahina, Khol, Lakarpur, Badhkal, Dhauj, Ballabhgarh, Dhulawat, Taru, Chaudaini, Palla, Khalitpur, Mau, Kotla, Bhond, Damdama, Gurgaon canals, Chakkarpur, Wazirabad, Manesar and Kameda, of lengths between 40ft and 1km.

According to an irrigation department official, of the 63, only four bunds (Ghata bund, Jharsa bund, Damdama canal bund and Gurgaon canal number 1) are in shape. The other 59 are in various stages of disrepair and ruin. Remains of only the ones in Wazirabad, Manesar, Dhauj, Kasan and Medawas can be seen now. All 59 were lost in the last 45 years.

"Most of these bunds now act as linear green belts. Many can't be traced, and those existing in parts don't get enough water due to natural drains getting blocked or concretised during urban development," said the irrigation department official, requesting anonymity.

M D Sinha, the conservator of forest (Gurgaon circle), said, "As per records from before 1958, available with the forest department, there were 118 bunds in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat and surrounding areas. They used to play a major role in protecting the area from floods, and in recharging groundwater. Today, only 20% rainfall flows down to the city from the Aravali hills. The rest — 80% rainwater — falls on concrete surface and causes waterlogging due poor drainage, absence of bunds and blockages in natural drains. We need to protect whatever bunds are left. We should also have water recharge zones in each sector to prevent flooding, as well as to recharge groundwater." He added that on an average, 100mm rainfall on an area of 1sq km can save 10 crore litres of water.

Environmentalist highlighted the immediate need to revive ponds near as many bunds as possible, and declare them as 'zero construction zones'. "Submergence area of bunds on the upstream side should first be zoned as zero construction zone. Then, water holding capacity in ponds — generally located upstream — should be enhanced. Not only will this increase water holding capacity of the ponds, but also bring down load on Badshapur drain, and thus prevent waterlogging in the city," said Chetan Agarwal, a city-based environmental analyst.