People from nearby cities fear travelling via Gurgaon

Reports of long snarls and flooded roads have made people living in cities near Gurgaon fearful of venturing on to highways.

Reports of long snarls and flooded roads have made people living in cities near Gurgaon fearful of venturing on to highways.

Commuters coming to or crossing Gurgaon are seeking live updates about the situation in the city. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Commuters coming to or crossing Gurgaon are seeking live updates about the situation in the city. People are using social media or contacting acquaintances to gather information before starting their journeys.

Radhika Kapoor, who works in a private firm in Gurgaon, said, “It was my mother’s birthday last Wednesday and she lives in Chandigarh. I came to Chandigarh by car but now I am worried about returning. I cannot leave my car here and I am scared of getting stuck in jams.”

Kapoor planned to return to Gurgaon by Saturday afternoon. However, after the weatherman predicted more rain over the weekend, she postponed her journey to Sunday afternoon.

Sandeep Raj, a resident of Jaipur, who has to reach Delhi for a meeting on Monday, said he is constantly checking Google Maps and social media sites for updates.

“I am checking every application -- Twitter, Facebook and Google Maps -- to see the traffic condition. I often come to Gurgaon, but this monsoon is wake-up call for authorities.”

A few residents cancelled their plans of visiting nearby cities, especially Jaipur, after 8-hour jams on the expressway were reported.

Namrata Shrivastav, a Gurgaon resident, was to drive to Jaipur with her kids on Friday. In a post on Facebook, she said, “Super urgent. I have plans of travelling to Jaipur by car with kids. Can anyone give an update on the traffic conditions?”

Within minutes, she received hundreds of responses urging her to cancel the plan -- an advise that Shrivastav decided to follow.

“Took your advice. Didn’t go guys... Many thanks,” she said in a comment.