Heavy Rain Brings Gurgaon to a Standstill with Severe Waterlogging and Traffic Jams

July 26, 2024July 26, 2024

2 min read

Gurgaon, July 26, 2024 – Daily life in Gurgaon came to a standstill on Thursday morning as a sudden downpour of 2.5mm since 8:30 AM led to heavy waterlogging, traffic snarls, and severe water backflow into houses and arterial roads. Key roads, including Golf Course Road (GCR), Golf Course Extension Road (GCER), Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), and Sohna Road, were inundated, causing major disruptions.

Impact on Traffic and Daily Life: Traffic came to a halt at major junctions such as Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, and Sector 57, all submerged in knee-deep water. School buses were stuck, prompting many private schools to cancel physical classes and switch to virtual learning for the day. Commuters were stranded on roads for hours, with some vehicles unable to move due to the depth of the water.

Residents’ Struggles: Residents of societies along GCR, GCER, Sushant Lok-3, and sectors 54 to 57 shared pictures and videos of waterlogged streets and submerged vehicles. Many reported water entering their homes and basements, causing damage to household goods.

Authorities’ Response: Over 300 police personnel were deployed to help manage the situation. Virender Vij, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), mentioned that the traffic from Narsinghpur caused congestion on connecting stretches but was brought under control during peak hours.

Municipal Efforts: Narhari Singh Bangar, MCG Commissioner, stated that water pumps were deployed, and the situation was normalized by around 12:30 PM. He emphasized that teams were cleaning rainwater harvesting pits and sewers to prevent future incidents.

Local Business Impact: Businesses along major roads suffered as flooding kept customers away. Shopowners reported empty stores and significant losses due to the inability of people to reach their locations.

Criticism of Infrastructure: Residents criticized the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) for inadequate infrastructure and delayed desilting measures. Kusum Sharma, a resident of Sector 54, highlighted the lack of timely maintenance and the dangers posed by open manholes and uncleaned stormwater drains.

Gurugram Development Authority’s Role: The Gurugram Development Authority (GMDA) deployed teams with pump sets at hotspots to clear waterlogging. Vikram Singh, Executive Engineer of GMDA, noted that creeks and pondages along GCR were beneficial in carrying stormwater and preventing flooding.

For more updates on this story, visit Sarhind Times.