Gurugram roads remain inundated after fourth day of rainfall

Heavy rain continued to drown Gurugram for the third consecutive day on Friday, crippling traffic on key arterial roads, inundating residential neighbourhoods and flooding public facilities, as civic agencies scrambled to deploy pumps and clear water

Heavy rain continued to drown Gurugram for the third consecutive day on Friday, crippling traffic on key arterial roads, inundating residential neighbourhoods and flooding public facilities, as civic agencies scrambled to deploy pumps and clear water.

The scale of disruption once again laid bare the city’s vulnerability to rain, with roads, underpasses, drains and even recently built infrastructure struggling to cope with the downpour. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The scale of disruption once again laid bare the city’s vulnerability to rain, with roads, underpasses, drains and even recently built infrastructure struggling to cope with the downpour.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Gurugram recorded 172mm of rainfall in the 72 hours till Friday, including 60mm till 5.30pm. Sohna received 82mm and Manesar 38mm during the same period.

Waterlogging was reported from several parts of the city, including Sheetla Mata Road, MG Road, Hero Honda Chowk towards Sector 37, IFFCO Chowk, Narsinghpur, Civil Hospital Road, Sector 10, Sector 10A market, sectors 21, 43, 67 and 69, and Surat Nagar along the Dwarka Expressway. In Manesar, roads in sectors 77, 81, 82, 90 and 99, besides industrial areas, were also inundated.

The disruption was not limited to low-lying residential pockets. Major roads that carry thousands of commuters daily were submerged or reduced to slow-moving stretches, while traffic police had to close at least one arterial road because of the combined impact of waterlogging and damage.

In Sector 22 HUDA Market, a boundary wall next to a 15-foot-deep drain collapsed following the heavy rain on Friday, damaging a few handcarts. No one was injured.

Residents said the flooding had made movement difficult across large parts of the city. A resident of Sector 17A said, “It has become difficult for us to even walk on the roads, let alone take our vehicles out. This is the first time we have seen waterlogging on such a large scale.”

In Sector 69, residents said ongoing infrastructure work had compounded the problem. RK Jaiswal said the road outside Tulip Violet was excavated on Wednesday for sewer-laying work. “The digging has added to our woes. There seems to be no coordination between the contractors and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA),” he said.

Residents of South City 1 also questioned the effectiveness of infrastructure designed specifically to prevent flooding. “This road was developed as a smart road with claims that it would prevent waterlogging, yet it gets submerged after every spell of heavy rain,” said resident Kush Datta.

In Sector 9, residents reported three to four feet of water on some internal roads and sought suction tankers from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). An MCG junior official said suction pumps and tankers had been deployed.

Another major stretch, Sheetla Mata Road remained inundated nearly two hours after the rain stopped, with pedestrians reporting knee-deep water. Several auto-rickshaws broke down after getting stranded, while motorists struggled through the flooded stretch.

GMDA spokesperson Neha Sharma said, “GMDA is carrying out drainage improvement work in Sheetla Mata road. Pumps were deployed at vulnerable spots to ensure water was pumped out timely.”

The Dwarka Expressway service road in sectors 102 and 104 also witnessed waterlogging.

Sunil Sareen, co-convenor of the citizen-led group Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Authority (DXPGDA), said the service road routinely gets waterlogged because there are no stormwater drains. He added that the road in Sector 102, recently built at a cost of ₹15 crore, continues to face the same problem after every spell of heavy rain.

Traffic movement was severely affected throughout Friday. The Ghata Power House-Ghata T Point stretch was closed because of severe waterlogging and road damage, with commuters advised to take alternate routes. Congestion was also reported on Golf Course Road between Sector 54 Chowk and Ghata, Golf Course Extension Road between Badshahpur and Vatika Chowk, Sohna Road between Subhash Chowk and Rajiv Chowk, and the Southern Peripheral Road near Vatika Chowk and the Cloverleaf interchange.

Traffic police spokesperson Vikas Verma said more than 100 personnel had been deployed across the city. “Traffic teams are deployed at locations to ensure smooth flow. We are also working in coordination with civic agencies to handle waterlogging. Prompt action will be taken wherever necessary,” he said.

Deputy commissioner Uttam Singh and MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya inspected Behrampur Road, NH-48 and other areas to review drainage and monsoon arrangements. Officials were directed to continuously monitor vulnerable locations and maintain pumping arrangements.

Dahiya said, “Regular monitoring of vulnerable locations, improving pumping arrangements and promoting rainwater harvesting systems to enhance the city’s water management infrastructure is in place.”

The rain also exposed problems inside public infrastructure. The basement of Civil Hospital in Sector 10A was flooded again, while patients alleged that water seeped into wards, including the cancer ward inaugurated earlier this year. Pictures shared with HT showed patients wading through waterlogged corridors.

Dr Neena, primary medical officer at the hospital, said the problem had recurred despite repeated requests for repairs. “This is a repeated instance, and despite us submitting all bills for renovation, little work has been done by the PWD. The newly-built cancer ward was filled with water due to leaking water. We have deployed multiple pumps from our end to mitigate the situation,” she said.

Government schools remained open despite the rain, while several private schools shifted to online classes. A government school teacher said waterlogging inside school premises inconvenienced students and staff. Another teacher said several students could not reach school because roads leading to campuses were flooded.

District elementary education officer Sumita Rangi did not respond to HT calls and messages for a response.

In Manesar, residents reported power outages after rainwater affected electricity infrastructure. Santosh Kumar, a resident of Sector 99, said roads near the Basai-Badshahpur drain and Basai Road were inundated and the area subsequently lost power after feeders reportedly broke down. “DHBVN officials informed us that they were unable to carry out repairs due to the waterlogging in the area,” he said.