Haryana govt calls meeting as cops say don’t come to rain-hit Gurgaon
Repeated spells of rain coupled with knee-deep water on National Highway-8 left thousands of commuters stranded in Gurgaon on Friday morning, with police saying traffic snags will not be cleared before noon.
This copy has been updated. To read the updates, click on the following links:
Monsoon woes: Heavy rain sinks 3 metros, exposes chink in urban infra
From traffic mess to blame game: All about Gurgaon’s waterlogging woes
The Haryana government convened an emergency meeting to deal with the massive traffic snarls and waterlogging in Gurgaon with sources indicating chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is likely to visit the city on Friday.
Repeated spells of rain coupled with knee-deep water on National Highway-8 left thousands of commuters stranded in Gurgaon on Friday morning, with police asking Delhi residents to avoid the Millennium City.
The National Highway -8 from Delhi to Jaipur is choked with hundreds of trucks unable to move because of heavy waterlogging. Morning office commuters made the situation worse. Gurgaon’s central Hero Honda Chowk remains submerged.
Police issued an advisory on Twitter that said: “People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in Traffic Jams due to flooding on roads.”
The flooded roads and hours spent in traffic jams created an uproar on social media as many residents blamed the local administration for poor planning.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia attacked the BJP government over the snarls, saying merely renaming Gurgaon to Gurugram won’t ensure development.
“Glib talk won’t help in unclogging traffic jams,” he said.
The Haryana government declared on Friday a two-day holiday (July 29 and 30) in Gurgaon schools. But the late-morning announcement led to confusion, as many of school buses were on the road ferrying children.
“Why didn’t the administration decide on Thursday about the holiday? It seems lack of good governance,” said Shivam Vij, a father waiting with his children on a waterlogged road in Sector 10-A market.
The traffic nightmare began Thursday after heavy evening downpour left commuters stranded -- many without fuel and water -- on their way back home from Gurgaon till well past midnight. Many were seen abandoning their cars and wading through knee-deep water.
Officials said the breach in Badshahpur drain led to the waterlogging and the subsequent traffic snarls.
“There is no option. I am stuck in traffic since 6 am and now returning home,” said a senior executive of an engineering firm who did not want to be named.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government in Haryana for “destroying Gurgaon” and tweeted: “Quicker to reach New York from Delhi then Delhi-Gurgaon (sic).”
Police commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk said “the policemen have been directed to ensure that citizens reached home safely.”
Police tweeted: “Water logging on several roads in Gurgaon has led to a gridlock in parts of the city. Entire traffic police is on road trying to do the best.”
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