Déjà vu: Gurugram drowns the same in season’s first heavy rain

Commuters took up to two hours to get home as school buses skidded, traffic was diverted via SPR and authorities deployed pumps, cranes and recovery teams.

All it took was 90 minutes of heavy rainfall. Gurugram was yet again introduced to all-too-familiar monsoon challenges on Tuesday as widespread waterlogging and brought the district to a near-standstill, with commuters taking up to several hours to reach home from office. The situation was compounded after a section of the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway caved in near Narsinghpur around 4.30pm, forcing the closure of two lanes and prompting Gurugram traffic police to divert traffic via the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR).

Residents questioned GMDA and MCG’s desilting claims after widespread flooding, while officials said key junctions drained quickly due to recent mitigation works. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The worst congestion was reported on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, where traffic came to a crawl from Rajiv Chowk to Narsinghpur. Gridlock also spread to Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, the Signature Tower crossing and Rajiv Chowk.

Vehicles wade through a flooded stretch of NH-48 near Narsinghpur village on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Motorists alleged the first monsoon rain exposed the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) and Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) claims that extensive measures had been taken to prevent waterlogging, with several recalling the city’s 2016 gridlock.

According to the district administration, Gurugram tehsil recorded an average rainfall of 47 mm, while Kadipur and Harsaru received 82 mm each, Gurugram city 76 mm and Wazirabad 49 mm.

Heavy waterlogging was reported on the stretch between Millennium City Centre Metro Station and Bakhtawar Chowk, where traffic remained stalled for over two hours.

“I started from the Millennium City metro station in my car around 3.30 pm and managed to reach Bakhtawar Chowk in about two hours. The entire road was waterlogged, and there was no difference between the surface drain and the road. People were seen wading through dirty water, as there is no public transport available at the stretch,” said Ravinder Sharma, a resident of Sector 10.

A car stuck in a storm water drain along National Highway 48 near Narsinghpur village on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Traffic jams were also reported on Gurugram-Sohna Road, Medanta Hospital Road, Gurudwara Road, Old Railway Road, New Railway Road, Ardee City Road, Golf Course Extension Road, SPR, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Road, Old Delhi Road and Mehrauli Road. A major bottleneck was also reported on Golf Course Road towards Sector 54.

A senior traffic police official said, “We are working in coordination with the MCG and GMDA to clear waterlogged stretches and remove road obstructions. Cranes, recovery vehicles, pumps, and water tankers were deployed to assist stranded motorists and shift affected vehicles, while senior officers continued monitoring traffic conditions on the ground.”

Heave snarl seen at Delhi-Gurugram Expressway due to heavy rain near Signature Tower flyover on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Traffic congestion continued late into Tuesday evening on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway between Rajiv Chowk and Narsinghpur, and Rajiv Chowk and IFFCO Chowk, particularly on the Delhi to Jaipur carriageway, after two lanes were closed at Narsinghpur following damage to the main carriageway.

In a post on X, an NHAI spokesperson said two lanes were shut as a precaution to ensure commuters’ safety. The spokesperson said GMDA teams had begun restoration work, while NHAI was coordinating with the executing agency, monitoring the situation and urged commuters to follow traffic advisories.

A school bus skid and went off road near Civil Lines on Tuesday. (PTI)

Several school buses reportedly skidded into potholes and damaged road stretches during Tuesday’s heavy rain. In one incident, a school bus carrying children got stuck on the waterlogged service lane between Hero Honda Chowk and the Kherki Daula toll plaza. No injuries were reported, and traffic police and commuters safely evacuated the students.

Residential sectors inundated

Residents reported severe waterlogging across internal roads despite desilting work claimed by the MCG.

Chaitali Mandhotra, a resident of Ardee City in Sector 52, questioned the authority’s claims. “We have never seen a single worker cleaning or desilting our drains. If the work has actually been completed, then why are we witnessing such severe waterlogging? The situation has deteriorated completely,” she said.

Vikas Hooda, RWA president of Ashok Vihar Phase 3, said nearly 2.5 feet of water had accumulated in the area. “We need a permanent solution to this recurring problem. It appears that the desilting work was carried out only on paper and not on the ground,” he said.

Outside the deputy commissioner’s residence in Sector 11, several vehicles got stuck in pits dug up for sewage work. BS Yadav, RWA president of Sector 31, alleged that no desilting had been carried out in the sector for four years despite repeated complaints. “Sector 31 is a low-lying area and requires desilting on priority to ensure residents do not suffer every monsoon,” he said.

Authorities defend preparedness; the IMD issues a yellow alert.

GMDA said its recently executed stormwater drainage strengthening and flood mitigation works had delivered encouraging results. A spokesperson said that key locations including AIT Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Dhanwapur, St Xavier’s Junction, Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Medanta Road and stretches of SPR witnessed quick drainage and minimal disruption.

MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said pumps, tankers and field teams remained deployed to drain accumulated water and minimise inconvenience. “Officers monitored the situation and coordinated with field teams to minimise inconvenience to residents,” he added.

In the evening, Gurugram Police advised corporate offices to allow employees to work from home until weather conditions improve, citing severe traffic congestion and the cave-in on NH-48.

“In view of the continuous rainfall in Gurugram and the forecast of further heavy rain over the coming days, there is a strong possibility of waterlogging and severe traffic congestion. To ensure public safety, reduce unnecessary traffic…We strongly urge the corporate sector and private establishments to allow their employees to work from home for the next few days,” Gurugram police said in a post on X.

A senior traffic police official said five cranes, two hydra cranes, an ambulance, 17 motorcycle riders, six SUVs and 125 personnel have been deployed for night patrols to respond to emergencies, regulate traffic and ensure smooth vehicular movement during the monsoon.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Gurugram recorded 69mm of rainfall on Tuesday. It issued a yellow alert till July 12 for thunderstorms, lightning, wind gusts up to 40 kmph and rain. Tuesday was also the coolest day of July so far, with the maximum temperature at 28°C and the minimum at 25°C. At 8pm, Gwal Pahari recorded a “satisfactory” AQI of 83, while Sector 51 (247), Vikas Sadan (239) and Teri Gram (207) remained in the poor category. The 24-hour average AQI of Gurugram, logged at 4pm, was at a “poor” 208, compared to a “moderate” 122 on Monday. However, by 8pm, the AQI dropped to a “moderate” 194 on Tuesday after the deluge.