Gurugram rains: Waterlogging woes return; 2,500 cops deployed to manage traffic

The police said 25 control room vehicles, 40 individual riders, 10 tow trucks, five earthmovers and over 100 police station vehicles have been sent to rain affected areas

Published on: May 23, 2022, 09:51:08 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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GURUGRAM: Heavy downpour accompanied by thunderstorms in several parts of the city, including the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, caused severe waterlogging in the city on Monday morning, forcing the police to deploy at least 2,500 personnel at key locations to manage traffic as commuters were stranded in several areas.

Police teams on bicycles are helping people in Gurugram who are stranded due to waterlogging. (ANI Photos)

The traffic police advised people to avoid stretches such as Narsinghpur area, Jharsa Crossing, Sector 29, Sector 38, Sector 50, Rajeev Chowk, Sheetla Mata Road, Civil Lines, Golf Course Extension Road, Vatika Chowk, Sector 52 and Daulatabad Flyover.

Kala Ramachandran, Gurugram commissioner of police, said that police teams on bicycles are helping people in Gurugram who are stranded due to waterlogging.

Ravinder Kumar Tomar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said that since it is a busy Monday morning, the volume of traffic was expected to be high and that there are many stretches where trees have also been uprooted due to the storm. “We have deployed teams, and are pumping out water through motors to ensure smooth flow of traffic, but congestions are being reported from many areas,” he said, warning commuters to plan their journeys accordingly.

The police control room started receiving calls around 6.30 am from residents and commuters, complaining of congestion and waterlogging, and also seeking tow trucks and information on route diversions, if any. Officers said they received over 60 such calls since morning.

Police teams deployed at the Integrated Command Centre, set up by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to monitor the CCTV feed, are sharing realtime data with police teams on ground to ensure vehicles and stranded commuters can be rescued and the traffic diverted.

The police said 25 control room vehicles, 40 individual riders, 10 tow trucks, five earthmovers and over 100 police station vehicles have been sent to rain affected areas.

Power cuts were also reported from many areas today morning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More