Heavy showers cause traffic chaos across Gurugram, NH-48

Key areas such as the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, Hero Honda Chowk, and IFFCO Chowk were choked with traffic snarls

A heavy downpour on Wednesday led to massive traffic congestion across Gurugram and the National Highway 48, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. The sudden and intense rainfall began at about 6.50 pm , resulting in waterlogged roads and gridlocks that lasted for hours.

A heavy downpour on Wednesday led to massive traffic congestion across Gurugram and the National Highway 48, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. (HT PHOTO)

Key areas such as the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, Hero Honda Chowk, and IFFCO Chowk were choked with traffic snarls.

IMD officials said that heavy to very heavy rain is expected to take place in Gurugram, Mahendragarh, Rewari, Jhajjar, Nuh, Palwal, Faridabad, Sonipat and Panipat till Thursday. There was an orange alert issued for Gurugram at 7.30pm on Wednesday with forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall effective for the next three hours. IMD officials said that looking at the scenario, a fresh alert may be issued late in the night on Wednesday if necessary.

The maximum temperature recorded in Gurugram on Wednesday was 37.9 degree Celsius and the minimum was 30.3 degree Celsius.

The Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) saw vehicles stuck for over 40 minutes as the road was jampacked. “I was stuck for more than 40 minutes on SPR. The waterlogging is so severe that it’s impossible to move an inch. It’s frustrating and there seems to be no assistance from traffic authorities,” said Anil Kumar, a daily commuter who uses the SPR to get to Manesar.

Similar scenes were reported from Sohna Road, where commuters were trapped in their vehicles for around 30 minutes. “Traffic was at a complete standstill. The road conditions are terrible, and it feels like we have been left to fend for ourselves,” said Pooja Sharma, a resident of Sector 47.

Golf Course Extension Road, another crucial artery in the city, was no better. The heavy rains caused significant water accumulation, making it nearly impossible for vehicles to pass through. “It is a nightmare to commute on this stretch . The road is completely flooded and potholed. This happens every time it rains heavily, and nothing seems to improve,” said Rohan Verma, who was on his way to a business meeting to a hotel in Sector 44.

IFFCO Chowk, one of the busiest junctions in Gurugram, also experienced severe traffic jams due to the downpour. Commuters reported being stuck for extended periods.

The heavy rains and subsequent traffic congestion have once again highlighted the inadequacies of Gurugram’s infrastructure and the lack of effective drainage systems.

Narhari Singh Bangar, MCG commissioner said that their teams were deployed on prime locations to pump out water that resulted in traffic congestion across arterial stretches. “We are using pumps at all locations where flooding has been reported and coordinating with other agencies. The situation got better within an hour,” he said.