Gurgaon: The city of Gurgaon woke up to severe weather conditions on Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing significant waterlogging across various localities and bringing traffic to a standstill on major routes, including the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road. Numerous visuals from the city depicted residents and vehicles navigating through knee-deep water.
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) reported waterlogging in several sectors, including 42, 43, 44, 55, and 56. Rapid response teams equipped with pumps were deployed, successfully clearing the water within two hours, according to a GMDA spokesperson. “Teams are on the ground at different locations in the city to support the quick discharge of stormwater. Pumpsets have been deployed at hotspots such as Narsinghpur, Khandsa Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sector 67, as well as on Ghata road to help remove any waterlogging on the carriageway,” the spokesperson elaborated.
One notable incident involved a fallen tree at IFFCO Chowk, which damaged a drain. A team is currently addressing this issue. Heavy rainfall also impacted Golf Course Road, but the creeks and ponds developed by the GMDA proved effective in managing stormwater and preventing further flooding. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) received numerous calls from areas such as Sushant Lok 1, 2, and 3, where approximately ten pumps were deployed to drain water. However, residents have criticised the city’s inadequate drain desilting efforts. R K Yadav, president of the Sector 46 Resident Welfare Association (RWA), stated, “The drains have not been desilted in a long time, and the garbage crisis has exacerbated this. The drains are clogged, and water cannot flow. It rained for 15 minutes, and the water took 1.5 hours to recede.”
Gurgaon’s master stormwater drainage system comprises a 55-km-long network with three main legs and 95 km of master drains. Over the past four years, 70 km of these master drains have been desilted, yet the city continues to face flooding issues. The total length of surface drains in Gurgaon is approximately 550 km. Residents of Sushant Lok 2 and 3 reported significant flooding, with water entering many homes. “In the low-lying areas of these two blocks, the condition was quite bad, and we called MCG officials seeking suction pumps. The water receded two hours later,” stated an RWA official.
An architectural design firm owner from Sushant Lok 1 recounted her experience of a flooded basement for two days. “Usually, it takes 45 minutes from my house in Sector 82 to get to the office, but today it took 1.5 hours. The waterlogging also makes it difficult to go out for field visits and client meetings,” she explained. Additionally, she noted the impact on her children’s school commute. “We keep checking an app to see where their bus is, and it is quite anxiety-inducing,” she added. The continued heavy rainfall and its repercussions highlight the need for more effective water management and infrastructure improvements in Gurgaon to mitigate the challenges posed by such weather events.
