Gurugram Paralyzed by Heavy Rain, Waterlogging and Power Outages

Strategic Insights -

Gurugram was brought to a standstill on Monday after a four-hour spell of heavy rain caused widespread waterlogging, traffic chaos and power outages. The city's arterial roads, highways and residential colonies were submerged under two to three feet of water, leaving commuters stranded for hours. The downpour triggered massive traffic jams, with a 20-km-long bottleneck on NH-48 causing severe disruption. The Aravali Dam near Kadarpur village suffered severe damage, leading to flooding in nearby villages, while the construction of a basement for a building was impacted by rain and subsequent waterlogging.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gurugram recorded 133 mm of rainfall on Monday and 10 mm on Tuesday, causing widespread waterlogging and traffic chaos.
  • The downpour triggered massive traffic jams, with a 20-km-long bottleneck on NH-48 from the Delhi-Gurugram border near Ambience Mall to Narsinghpur.
  • Key junctions including Atlas Chowk, Signature Tower, Jharsa Chowk and Kherki Daula toll plaza were completely gridlocked.
  • Several vehicles broke down in the deluge, while two-wheelers were nearly swept away in strong currents.
  • The Aravali Dam near Kadarpur village suffered severe damage, leading to flooding in nearby villages.
  • Rain and subsequent waterlogging impacted the construction of a basement for a building near Ullawas village, causing cracks to appear in nearby homes.
  • Residents voiced anger over the city's collapsing infrastructure despite soaring property prices.
  • Experts pointed to unplanned construction, encroachments, and a narrow Badshahpur drain as key reasons for waterlogging.

Statistics:

  • 133 mm of rainfall on Monday
  • 10 mm of rainfall on Tuesday
  • 20-km-long bottleneck on NH-48
  • Several vehicles broken down in the deluge
  • 1 Aravali Dam suffered severe damage
  • 1 basement construction impacted by rain and waterlogging

Sources:

  • "Gurgaon's land was once part of the Sahibi River basin with natural catchments, but these were destroyed during the real estate boom of the 1990s" (Source: Twitter user)
  • "If you're living in Gurugram, landlords demand '60-80K rent per month... We wade through flooded streets every time it rains" (Source: Nishant Verma, resident of Sector-31)
  • "Agencies like GMDA and MCG have no drainage experts. The Government should appoint specialists to design proper systems as per requirements" (Source: Shiv Singh Rawat, former Superintending Engineer of Haryana Irrigation Department)
  • "Our teams are in the field with pumps and machines. Control rooms have been set up to assist residents" (Source: SS Rohilla, MCG spokesperson)
  • Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Pioneer