As Gurugram continues to battle waterlogging and monsoon flooding, a draft drainage plan by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has revealed an alarming situation nearly 85% of individual homes and around 50% of residential societies in the city do not have working rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems.
The findings come as the GMDA launches its first review meeting for a comprehensive overhaul of the city’s drainage infrastructure.
The report identifies three major drainage zones and reveals how vast catchment areas ranging from Nathupur to Najafgarh, Chakkarpur to Millennium City Centre, and across the Badshahpur drain remain underutilized when it comes to rainwater conservation. It notes that 70% of RWH pits in residential areas are currently non-functional.
Even though Haryana building norms mandate RWH structures in plots over 100 square yards with compliance certificates required before house possession the on-ground reality tells a different story. Many recharge pits are clogged or built without proper gradient, rendering them useless.
Officials argue that if the RWH systems across the city are revived and effectively used, nearly 50% of rainfall runoff could be redirected to recharge groundwater or fill local ponds and green belts. There are also proposals to lower the elevation of city green belts to help them retain more water and to expand the capacity of existing water bodies.
With water scarcity becoming a major concern in urban India, cities like Gurugram can no longer afford to ignore rainwater harvesting. The future of water sustainability depends on both individual and collective compliance.
Rainwater if saved and reused, could reduce the city’s dependence on groundwater extraction, which is already causing the water table to drop rapidly.
The GMDA is expected to intensify its monitoring and enforcement of RWH systems, with further meetings scheduled to finalize actionable plans.
Why It Matters:
Gurugram’s rapid urbanisation has led to vanishing green areas and overloaded drainage systems. Reviving rainwater harvesting is not just an environmental necessity—it’s the only way forward to prevent yearly flooding and ensure long-term water security.