Gurugram was brought to its knees on Monday as a four-hour downpour resulted in widespread flooding and extensive traffic jams. The heavy rainfall submerged large parts of the city under two to three feet of water, triggering massive traffic snarls and breakdowns. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Delhi-NCR, including Gurugram. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has issued an advisory to corporations, encouraging them to allow employees to work from home. Schools have also been advised to conduct online classes.
Commuters faced nightmare journeys, with major roads submerged and gridlocks stretching for kilometers. A 4km jam on NH-8, stretching from Hero Honda Chowk to Narsingpur, was reported as the worst bottleneck. A bus stalled near Jharsa worsened the chaos, while two-wheelers were nearly swept away in strong water currents along the expressway. Almost every major junction was paralyzed, from Rajeev Chowk to IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower to Kherki Daula toll plaza. One resident reported that it took them 6 hours to cover just 12 km.
Residents have expressed outrage over the city's infrastructure, highlighting the recurring monsoon woes and questioning its status as a millennium city. Basements of residential societies in Sectors 29, 31, 45, and 56, and markets in Palam Vihar and commercial hubs like Udyog Vihar were flooded. Shopkeepers were seen trying to block water from entering their stores. Residents blamed the recurring monsoon chaos on poor drainage and unplanned construction, stating that civic teams had not reached affected areas until late in the evening.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) stated that they were working to address the situation. According to an MCG official, teams were in the field with pumps and machines to clear waterlogged areas. GMDA added that its Flood Control Office has been working around the clock since July, with manpower and helpline services to address complaints. Traffic police reported receiving 200 distress calls in a matter of hours and deployed all teams, including senior officers, at over 100 waterlogging points. Cranes and manual teams were deployed to clear stranded vehicles.
The weather forecast for Delhi warns of intense downpours. The IMD weather alert extends to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where a red alert has been issued for the risk of flash floods and very heavy rainfall. Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir are currently under an orange warning. The District Disaster Management Authority has issued an orange alert for Gurgaon and advised the closure of all schools, colleges, and offices, encouraging work-from-home arrangements. Noida and Ghaziabad are also experiencing heavy rain. A red alert has been issued for Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar district, including Noida, warning of heavy rainfall exceeding 15mm per hour.
Gurgaon district recorded an average of 45mm of rainfall between 8 am and 5 pm on Monday. Wazirabad recorded the highest rainfall at 85 mm, followed by Kadipur and Harsaru at 80 mm each, Badshahpur 25 mm, Sohna 23 mm, Manesar 22 mm, Pataudi 13 mm, and Farukh Nagar 10 mm. The Narsinghpur area was completely submerged, with knee-deep water flooding streets and paralyzing traffic for hours. Vehicles stalled mid-road, while shopkeepers struggled to keep water out of their stores as the downpour showed no signs of easing. Commuters waded through strong currents, and two-wheelers were nearly swept off the roads in some areas.
Traffic jams, broken roads and waterlogged roads remain a recurring challenge for Gurugram, highlighting the urgent need for improved drainage systems.
