India, Aug. 19 -- Once the natural lifelines of Gurugram, the city's traditional water bodies now lie buried under debris and illegal encroachments, unleashing a worsening civic and environmental crisis. Reservoirs that once absorbed monsoon rains have now vanished, leaving homes waterlogged, roads submerged, and traffic paralysed.

Residents raise concern over years of neglect and short-sightedness. According to JAAGO GURUGRAM, a collective of RWAs, reckless dumping of construction waste and unchecked encroachments have choked critical catchments like the 84-acre Khala near Ambience Mall and the Johars on Rao Gajraj Marg, Old Gurgaon Road, and Sector 22B/Molhera.

Chairperson Kundan Lal Sharma warned that the city has "turned a blessing ...