Overnight showers cause waterlogging, traffic snarls in Gurugram
IMD officials said that there is a forecast of heavy rainfall in Gurugram and neighbouring districts on September 2, besides light to moderate rainfall in isolated places till September 4. Gurugram’s air quality index (AQI) was in satisfactory category (80) on Thursday
Gurugram: Continuous overnight rainfall led to severe waterlogging across Gurugram on Thursday morning, leading to major traffic disruptions throughout the city. Key stretches including the Golf Course Extension Road, Subhash Chowk and Udyog Vihar were particularly affected bringing the peak hour traffic to a near standstill, traffic police officials said.
Gurugram deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Virender Vij, said that there was a severe traffic jam near the Sirhaul border in the morning due to the closure of a diversion near the IGI airport in Delhi.
“The traffic congestion had reached till Gurugram due to the closure of the diversion. Besides, the rainfall in Delhi was more than that recorded in Gurugram which was also the reason for a traffic jam there, ultimately affecting vehicular movement on NH 48 near the border,” Vij said adding that a minor traffic snarl was reported near Narsinghpur too.
IMD officials, meanwhile, said that the city recorded a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 25.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Gurugram recorded rainfall of 1mm from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Thursday and 6mm in the last 24 hours. Till Thursday, the city received weekly rainfall of 50.1mm which is 19% higher than the normal and a seasonal rainfall of 492.8mm which is 23% higher than the normal amount recorded at this time of the year.
IMD officials said that there is a forecast of heavy rainfall in Gurugram and neighbouring districts on September 2, besides light to moderate rainfall in isolated places till September 4. Gurugram’s air quality index (AQI) was in satisfactory category (80) on Thursday.
“I was stuck on Golf Course Extension Road for almost half an hour in the morning. Waterlogging is a perennial issue, and it seems to be getting worse every year. It’s frustrating since the entire left side of the road towards Sector 56 is waterlogged,” said Dinesh Kumar, a daily commuter.
Another commuter, Vidhya Mehta, who was stranded near Subhash Chowk, 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.
Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) Commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar acknowledged the rain-related issues but assured residents that steps 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 also emphasised the ongoing efforts to improve the drainage system, noting that civic agencies are being urged to ensure that all rainwater harvesting pits are cleared promptly. “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,” Yadav said.
The waterlogged streets also disrupted public transport, further complicating the morning commute. Residents of low-lying areas were particularly hard-hit, with water entering homes and basements, causing significant damage.
Narender Yadav, president of the C Block Residents Welfare Association (RWA), highlighted the recurring issues faced by residents. “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. The entire rainwater from Rezangla Chowk, Sector 23A, Dharam Colony, Palam Vihar A&B Block, Krishna Chowk, Gupta Colony, along with the water from the flyover, passes through C&D Block to Leg 1. Now, residents of D Block have blocked the stormwater drain near D Block, which carries all the rainwater. Due to this, many houses in C Block experience backflow, with water entering their homes and causing damage. Despite repeated complaints to MCG officers, no action has been taken to remove the blockage,” he said.
MCG inspects drainage system
MCG additional commissioner Dr. Balpreet Singh conducted an inspection of rainwater drainage and road repair work on Thursday. During his visit, he assessed the situation at more than half a dozen locations and issued directives to the officials present to expedite the road repair work.
Singh inspected several key areas, including Hero Honda Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Badshahpur, Darbaripur Road, Kadarpur Road, Tulip Chowk, and the surrounding sectors like Sector 67. During the inspection, Junior Engineer Arif Khan explained that at Vatika Chowk, pumps are used to divert water from surrounding areas into the Badshahpur drain. Water reaching the chamber at Vatika Chowk via the drain line along Sohna Road is then pumped into the Badshahpur drain. Additionally, a tractor-mounted pump and suction tanker are deployed to ensure the drainage of water accumulated at Tulip Chowk on Darbaripur Road. Khan also mentioned that pothole filling work on the roads in the area is being carried out by his team.
Singh issued clear instructions to speed up the process of making all roads under the jurisdiction of the MCG pothole-free to prevent inconvenience to drivers. He also directed that potholes on roads adjacent to MCG-managed areas, even if under the jurisdiction of other departments, should be addressed. He instructed MCG officials to immediately activate pumps and machinery to ensure rapid drainage.