Gurugram, May 2
A brief but intense spell of rain on Friday morning brought Gurugram to a halt, exposing the hollow claims of pre-monsoon preparedness by the district administration, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), and other civic agencies.
The downpour, which began around 5 a.m. and intensified within 15 minutes, led to severe waterlogging across the city.
Soon, key roads and residential areas were submerged, some under 3-4 feet of water, disrupting both vehicular and pedestrian movement. Trees were uprooted in several areas, causing power outages and adding to the chaos.
Traffic was thrown out of gear during the morning rush hour, with police struggling to manage the flow in knee-deep water. Movement on the Delhi-Jaipur-Mumbai highway was also severely affected.
Among the worst-hit locations were Hero Honda Chowk, Basai Road, Medanta Underpass, Galleria Market, Signature Tower, Huda City Centre, Iffco Chowk, Sector 14, Vatika Chowk, and Sheetla Mata Mandir, among others.
Nearly 65 per cent of the city was estimated to be under an average of 2.5 feet of water.
Despite the chaos, traffic police were quick to respond. “We were alert as clouds built up and took our positions as soon as it started raining,†said a senior traffic officer.
“It’s tough to manage traffic in such conditions, but we are doing our best,†he said.
Residents expressed frustration at the recurring issue. “The multiple agencies in Gurugram have no solution to waterlogging,†said Ram Chandra, a local resident.
Others took to social media to share images of flooded roads and traffic snarls.
Office-goers and children in the city, too, faced a lot of inconvenience due to traffic disruptions.
Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson for the Gurugram Police, said, “Traffic personnel have been deployed at major junctions to ensure smoother movement.â€
— IANS
Reader Comments
Every year the same story! 😤 Our taxes go into these agencies but they never learn. The Medanta Underpass becomes a swimming pool with just 15 minutes of rain. When will Gurugram get proper drainage systems?
The traffic police deserve appreciation for working in such terrible conditions. But why can't MCG and GMDA coordinate better? Multiple agencies = zero accountability. Need one authority to handle monsoon prep.
Took me 2.5 hours to reach Cyber City from Sector 14 today! My shoes are ruined and my office clothes got soaked. This is no way for India's "Millennium City" to function. Shameful planning 🤦â€â™€ï¸
The real issue is illegal construction blocking natural drainage paths. Builders pay bribes, get approvals, and citizens suffer. Need strict enforcement of rainwater drainage norms before approving projects.
Saw people helping each other push cars out of water today - that's the real spirit of Gurugram! But we deserve better infrastructure. Maybe we should learn from cities like Surat that improved their drainage post-2006 floods.
Why is there no real-time waterlogging alert system? In this tech capital, we should have an app showing flooded areas with live camera feeds. Startups - here's a problem to solve!
My child missed her school exam because the school bus couldn't reach our society. Education gets affected because of civic
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