Sector 70A Drain Work Blocks Main Road Link

GURUGRAM: A stormwater-drain excavation at the junction of a 60-metre road and a 24-metre road in Sector 70A has blocked a key neighbourhood link for more than four months, residents say, forcing thousands of families onto a narrow and poorly maintained alternative route.

The affected 24-metre road is the main connection between several condominiums and the wider network. Residents estimate that more than 5,000 families across at least five housing complexes are dealing with the disruption. A large pit at the junction has stopped through movement and pushed school buses, office traffic and daily service vehicles onto a 10-metre-wide revenue road.

That alternative is already in poor condition and becomes congested during the morning and evening peaks. Residents also say it is prone to waterlogging, leaving them dependent during rain on a narrow route that can itself become difficult to navigate.

People living in BPTP Astaire Garden and nearby condominiums have questioned why temporary access was not provided while the permanent drain was being built. They have also raised safety concerns about the excavation and damage to the adjoining green belt. An open construction pit needs firm barricading, warning lights and a protected edge even when work is paused.

GMDA says drainage is almost complete

A GMDA official said work to lay drains and construct footpaths in Sector 70A was ongoing but had been stopped during the monsoon. The authority expects activity to resume in September and says the drainage component is almost complete, after which the roads should become accessible.

The official added that the project had not originally been scheduled for completion before the monsoon because drain and footpath construction takes time. In response to questions about the pit, GMDA said a team would inspect the location and cover it if it remained open.

That response addresses the construction schedule but not the full mobility problem. Even when a project legitimately spans the monsoon, the executing agency remains responsible for safe temporary access. A route serving 5,000 families cannot simply disappear from the network for a season without a traffic and pedestrian plan.

GMDA should immediately inspect the barricading, grade the revenue road where possible and mark a one-way movement plan during peak hours if its width cannot safely handle two-way traffic. School-bus timings could also be considered while deploying marshals at the narrowest points.

Before work resumes, the authority should give residents a dated sequence for finishing the drain, filling the excavation, restoring the junction and repairing any green-belt damage. Breaking the timeline into visible stages would make it easier to hold the contractor accountable if the September restart slips.

Sector 70A needs the stormwater system, particularly as intense rain increasingly exposes gaps across New Gurugram. But drainage work is meant to make a neighbourhood more resilient, not leave it less safe for months. Completing the project well is essential; managing access responsibly until then is equally part of the job.