Heavy rainfall in Gurugram causes severe waterlogging; traffic affected

IMD officials said that the city recorded a rainfall of at least 6mm in the past 24 hours and light to moderate rainfall is expected in the next two hours

Waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall overnight led to severe traffic jams across Gurugram and other parts of the city on Thursday morning.

Traffic congestion at Delhi-Gurugram expressway near Signature Tower flyover in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar | HT Photo)

Key areas of the city, namely Golf Course Extension Road, Subhash Chowk, Udyog Vihar, among others, were inundated bringing the morning office traffic to a standstill.

Vikas, assistant commissioner of police, (highway traffic), said there were traffic snarls at some locations on the highways including the stretch near Narsinghpur and Rajiv Chowk on NH-48.

“Traffic snarl is also present near the Sirhaul border which is due to the jam on the highway in Delhi. Teams have been mobilised to ensure that the traffic movement remains smooth. Towing vehicle will be used in case any vehicle breaks down amid the continuous downpour to remove it as soon as possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said that the city recorded a rainfall of at least 6mm in the past 24 hours and light to moderate rainfall is expected in the next two hours.

Commuters expressed their dismay over the long traffic jam.

“I was stuck on Golf Course Extension Road for almost half an hour this morning. The waterlogging is a perennial issue, and it seems to be getting worse every year. It is frustrating since the entire left side of the roads towards Sector 56 is waterlogged,” said Mukul Kapoor, a daily commuter.

Another commuter, Vidhya Mehta, who was stranded near Subhash Chowk, also echoed similar sentiments.

“It took me almost 20 minutes to cover a distance that usually takes two minutes. The situation on Sohna Road was equally bad, with vehicles moving at a snail’s pace due to the waterlogged lanes”, Mehta said.

Narhari Singh Bangar, commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), acknowledged the issues but assured residents that measures are being taken to improve the city’s drainage system.

“We understand the inconvenience caused by waterlogging, and our teams are working tirelessly to address these issues. We are planning to upgrade the existing infrastructure to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that they are already working to improve the drainage system and have been asking the civic agencies to ensure all the rain harvesting pits are properly and timely cleared.

“Gurugram is growing rapidly, and our infrastructure needs to keep pace with this growth. We are committed to improving the city’s drainage and road systems to ensure that residents do not have to face such disruptions during the monsoon season,” he said.

Waterlogged streets also hampered the smooth movement of public transport.

Residents of low-lying areas were especially affected, with water entering homes and basements, adding to their woes.

“We cannot continue to face these issues year after year. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to upgrade our drainage system and ensure that our roads are safe and navigable, even during heavy rains,” said Narender Yadav, president of the C Block Resident Welfare Association (RWA).