Gurugram: GMDA wants sewage line under Iffco Chowk flyover to be shifted

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to shift the sewer pipeline passing under the Iffco Chowk flyover, saying any leakage in the two-decade-old pipeline could damage the flyover. The GMDA officials on Thursday said that they have sent around ten letters to the highways authority in the last two months regarding this matter. The NHAI, however, said there is need for this as the flyover is safe and runs parallel to the pipeline.

The sewer pipeline running under the Iffco Chowk flyover carries the sewage of areas between Shankar Chowk and Iffco Chowk and is susceptible to leakages, said the GMDA officials.

The Iffco Chowk is one of the busiest traffic junctions in the city and the flyover for traffic to move from Delhi to Jaipur was completed in 2019 as part of a project launched in 2016 to decongest the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.

On August 23 last year, a portion of the retaining wall of the flyover had caved in due to leakage in the sewerage line. At that time, NHAI officials had said that due to collection of large amount of water, the retaining wall of the flyover collapsed.

Praveen Kumar, executive engineer, GMDA, said, “We have written several letters to the NHAI, and the response is awaited. In case of leakage in the pipeline, the wall of the flyover which is on the sewage line can collapse,” said Kumar.

The GMDA officials also said that an estimate of ₹19 crore for transfer of this sewer line was also prepared but it could not be ascertained why the shifting of pipeline was not carried out.

Saurabh Singhal, NHAI consultant, who was also involved in construction of this flyover, said that the sewer pipeline runs parallel to the flyover and does not come under the retaining wall or any other portion of the constructed structure. “The shifting of sewage line was not under the scope of the NHAI project and the retaining wall and other structures are completely safe,” he said, adding that repair done by the authority after the August incident was adequate.