Gurugram submerged; road cave-ins, unending traffic jams add to residents' woes

Gurugram, Jul 7 (PTI) Gurugram witnessed its first spell of heavy monsoon rain on Tuesday afternoon, logging around 82 mm rainfall, with road cave-ins, waterlogging and unending traffic jams reported from across the city. The main carriageway on the Delhi-Jaipur highway (NH-48) caved in near Narsinghpur due to heavy rainfall, forcing closure of two lanes. This triggered a massive traffic jam stretching several kilometers, from Hero Honda Chowk to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, leaving commuters stranded. Gurugram police issued a traffic advisory and diverted vehicles moving on the route. "To ensure smooth traffic flow and prioritise the safety of motorists travelling from Delhi towards Jaipur, route diversions have been implemented. "Commuters should turn left at Rajiv Chowk and use SPR Road. Turn left at Hero Honda Chowk and proceed towards your destination using SPR Road. Motorists coming from Delhi will proceed towards their destination using the Dwarka Expressway," the advisory read. On the other hand, a cave-in was reported on Civil Line Road due to the downpour, causing the tires of two parked vehicles to get badly stuck. The stretch had been recently excavated to lay a sewer pipeline, and the heavy rainfall further exacerbated the condition of the road, causing a cave-in. Notably, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Uttam Kumar's residence is located on this very road, some 100 metres away from the cave-in. With residences of Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and Haryana minister Rao Narbir also located on this stretch, the road is no stranger to VVIP traffic. If this is the condition of a 'VVIP road', one can only imagine the state of other parts of the city, locals remarked. The first bout of monsoon rain city once again submerged the city, as the administration's claims regarding 'no waterlogging' were washed away. Severe traffic jams were triggered due to waterlogging across highways and key roads. Residents from across the city took to social media to share their woes, attaching video clips showing flooded roads and traffic disarray. The downpour began around 2 pm and continued uninterrupted until 4 pm. The persistent rainfall led to waterlogging on most major roads, causing traffic to move at a slow pace. As the rains came at the time of school closing, school buses and students were among the most affected by the traffic disarray. A school bus fell into an open drain on NH-48. Fortunately, there were no students on the bus. The areas reporting long traffic jams due to waterlogging included Narsinghpur along the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Basai, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Extension road, Rajiv Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Udyog Vihar, Sohna Road, Khandsa Road, old Delhi road, Pataudi Road, the road from Millenium City Centre to Hero Honda Chowk, Pataudi Road, Old Gurugram-Delhi Road, Khandsa road, Basai road, Old Railway Station and New Railway Station Road. Police were seen trying to manage traffic even in the rain. A senior traffic official said personnel have been deployed across areas to ensure smoother vehicular movement. According to an official statement, Gurugram recorded a maximum 82 mm of rain on Tuesday. Tehsil-wise, Kadipur and Harsaru sub-tehsil areas recorded 82 mm rainfall while Gurugram tehsil area recorded 76 mm of rain. Manesar Tehsil recorded 50 mm while Badshahpur sub-tehsil recorded 15 mm. Wazirabad tehsil recorded 49 mm rainfall, Pataudi recorded 26 mm, Sohna recorded 26 mm and Farrukhnagar recorded 27 mm. According to police, continuous heavy rainfall led to waterlogging at several underpasses and other locations across Gurugram. Waterlogged roads, potholes and vehicles getting stranded resulted in traffic disruption, causing congestion at multiple stretches. In view of the situation, Gurugram police and traffic personnel immediately launched extensive measures to ensure smooth traffic movement by utilising available resources, a senior official said. Additional police personnel were deployed at identified locations to restore normal traffic flow at the earliest. Senior officers visited various affected locations to assess the traffic situation and issued necessary directions to officers deployed on the ground, he said. Coordination has been established with the municipal corporation and other concerned departments to ensure prompt action for removal of waterlogging, road obstructions, and damaged road surfaces, he added. PTI COR ARB ARB