Gurgaon traffic mess: Rains play havoc, people asked to avoid Millennium City

Repeated spells of rain coupled with knee-deep water on National Highway-8 left thousands of commuters stranded in Gurgaon on Friday morning, with police asking Delhi residents to avoid the Millennium City.

Repeated spells of rain coupled with knee-deep water on National Highway-8 left thousands of commuters stranded in Gurgaon on Friday morning, with police asking Delhi residents to avoid the Millennium City.

A view of a flooded road near Hero Honda Chowk in Gurgaon. (HT Photo)

Police issued an advisory on Twitter that said: “People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in Traffic Jams due to flooding on roads.”

The Haryana government declared on Friday a two-day holiday (July 29 and 30) in Gurgaon schools. But the late-morning announcement led to confusion, as many of school buses were on the road ferrying children.

4:18pm: RSS volunteers are assisting traffic cops on the streets

1:26pm: Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon will break median of NH8 for few hours to remove blockade

1:20pm:Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari talks to NHAI Chairman, directs him to send team of officials to NH8 immediately

12:23pm: Gurgaon Police tweets pictures of Rajiv Chowk which has been cleared for traffic

11:51am: Haryana chief secretary D S Dhesi convened an emergency meeting of crisis management team to discuss steps to tackle crisis.

According to official information, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is likely to conduct an aerial survey of Gurgaon.

11:46am: Hero Honda Chowk and Subhash Chowk have been cleared for traffic movement

11:31am: Traffic moving at a slow pace on NH8

11:18am: NH8 at Hero Honda Chowk cleared for heavy vehicles

11:10 am: Gurgaon district magistrate exercises powers under section 144 CrPC, calls all officials on the ground

11:00am: Haryana Chief Secretary calls an emergency meeting on the issue of water logging in Gurgaon

10:59am: Congress leader Randeep Surjewala blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government in Haryana for “destroying Gurgaon” and tweeted: “Quicker to reach New York from Delhi then Delhi-Gurgaon (sic).”

The traffic nightmare began Thursday after heavy evening downpour left commuters stranded -- many without fuel and water -- on their way back home from Gurgaon till well past midnight. Many were seen abandoning their cars and wading through knee-deep water.

Officials said the breach in Badshahpur drain led to the waterlogging and the subsequent traffic snarls.

Police commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk said “the policemen have been directed to ensure that citizens reached home safely.”

Police tweeted: “Water logging on several roads in Gurgaon has led to a gridlock in parts of the city. Entire traffic police is on road trying to do the best.”

Read| Don’t come to Gurgaon, cops say after snarls, waterlogging; schools shut