‘All Will Be Fixed By 2047’: BJP MP Blames Gurugram’s 60-Year-Old Planning, Population Boom For Monsoon Chaos

Who is responsible for Gurugram’s recurring waterlogging and traffic chaos after heavy rain? According to BJP MP Dharambir Singh, almost everyone — except the government.

As Gurugram once again struggled with flooded roads, traffic jams and waterlogged stretches following heavy monsoon showers, the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP offered a series of explanations for the Millennium City’s infrastructure crisis, pointing to rapid population growth, outdated planning, encroachment and increasingly intense rainfall.

Speaking to NDTV in a televised interview, Singh said the authorities work hard to prevent waterlogging and traffic congestion but acknowledged that “all can't be done”.

‘We Didn’t Anticipate Gurugram Would Grow This Big’

Singh attributed much of the problem to planning decisions made decades ago, saying the city's planners could not have anticipated the scale at which Gurugram would eventually expand.

“We didn't know so many people, houses and vehicles will come to Gurugram,” he said.

According to the BJP MP, the city has expanded far beyond the expectations of planners who designed its original infrastructure around six decades ago.

The result, he argued, is an infrastructure system struggling to cope with the number of residents, buildings and vehicles now concentrated in Gurugram.

Old Drains ‘Squeezed’ By Construction

Singh also pointed to the city's drainage network as one of the major reasons for recurring waterlogging.

He said the traditional drainage channels had been encroached upon and narrowed because of construction, making it difficult to increase their capacity now.

“The old drains have been squeezed due to construction. We are unable to broaden them now,” he said.

With the existing drainage network unable to handle the volume of water during intense showers, even short spells of heavy rain can leave major roads inundated.

‘Now It Rains Suddenly And Heavily’

The BJP MP also attributed the city's problems partly to changing rainfall patterns.

“These days there is sudden and heavy rain. Water gets accumulated and takes time to go away,” Singh said.

His comments came after another spell of heavy rain exposed Gurugram's vulnerability, with roads inundated and traffic movement severely affected in several parts of the city.

The disruption has become a recurring feature of the monsoon, with commuters frequently facing long delays and vehicles struggling through waterlogged roads.

‘There Is No Fault Of The Government’

Despite the repeated disruption, Singh rejected the suggestion that the government or administration should be blamed for the situation.

“We work to the best of our abilities to drain the water,” he said.

He maintained that authorities were making efforts to address both traffic congestion and waterlogging, while acknowledging that the scale of the challenge made it impossible to resolve every problem immediately.

Asked when residents could expect a lasting solution, Singh pointed towards the city's proposed long-term planning framework.

‘All Will Be Fixed By 2047’

Singh said Gurugram's masterplan for 2047 would address the city's future infrastructure requirements.

“The new masterplan for 2047 will develop the city for future needs. All will be taken care of then,” he said.

The remark effectively shifted the timeline for a comprehensive solution from today's monsoon crisis to a much longer-term urban planning exercise.

For residents dealing with flooded roads and traffic jams during the present monsoon, however, that promise offers little immediate relief.

Rao Inderjit Singh Blames Congress-Era Development

BJP MP from Gurugram Rao Inderjit Singh offered a different explanation for the city's waterlogging, blaming development undertaken during the Congress era.

“Waterlogging has been occurring in Gurugram for years,” he said.

According to Rao Inderjit Singh, the city's original drainage channels carried rainwater from the surrounding hills towards the Yamuna. Development over these traditional routes, he argued, disrupted the natural drainage system.

“The main reason is that development has taken place over the old, traditional drains that used to carry water from the hills to the Yamuna. We are still dealing with the consequences of this development that happened during the Congress era today,” he said.

Underground Tunnels Proposed As Long-Term Solution

Rao Inderjit Singh said the city's current drainage interventions were insufficient and argued that underground tunnels could provide a more permanent solution.

He suggested constructing tunnels along the routes of the old drainage channels, using a model similar to underground Metro infrastructure, to restore the natural flow of water.

“The only way to fix this now is to construct underground tunnels, similar to those built for the Metro, along the paths of the old drains to channel the water through those original routes,” he said.

He described the measures currently being undertaken as a “Band-Aid” solution, arguing that diverting or blocking water in one location could simply result in flooding elsewhere.

“The government is working on this, and we are arranging the necessary funds,” he said.

Gurugram’s Monsoon Problem Becomes A Political Blame Game

The contrasting explanations have once again highlighted the complexity of Gurugram's urban infrastructure crisis.

One BJP MP has pointed to outdated planning, rapid population growth, construction over existing drains and intense rainfall. Another has blamed historical development during the Congress era and called for underground tunnels.

Meanwhile, residents continue to face the immediate consequences of the city's drainage problems whenever heavy rain arrives.

Gurugram's transformation from a relatively small urban centre into a major corporate and residential hub has happened at extraordinary speed. Its infrastructure, particularly drainage and road networks, has struggled to keep pace with that growth.

The political debate over who is responsible may continue.

For commuters, motorists and residents, the more pressing question remains whether Gurugram can find a solution before the next spell of heavy rain turns its roads into waterways once again.