In view of the heavy rain that caused widespread flooding in Gurugram, the district administration has asked offices to allow employees to work from home and schools to shift to online classes.
Though the rain lasted only about an hour, residents of the Millennium City, known for its high-end residential complexes, sprawling malls and corporate offices, complained that the collapse of civic infrastructure has become a recurring problem every time the city receives prolonged or intense rainfall.
According to data issued by the Meteorological Department, Gurugram received 70 mm of rainfall by 1.30 pm. Key areas, including Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road, were among the worst affected.
Visuals circulating online showed motorists abandoning their vehicles after getting stranded on inundated roads. Students returning from school were seen running towards higher ground, including bus stops built on raised platforms, to avoid falling into trouble or stepping into open manholes hidden beneath the floodwaters.
Traffic snarls were also reported on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, with thousands of vehicles forced to crawl despite the road having enough width to accommodate heavy traffic. The stretch from Signature Tower to Hero Honda Chowk, which usually takes around 15 minutes to cover, took at least 50 minutes, commuters said.
A large section of the expressway near Cyber Hub was submerged, disrupting traffic on the major thoroughfare. Sheetla Mata Road, which has emerged as one of Gurugram’s flood-prone locations this monsoon, was among the worst affected.
Within just an hour of rain, people were seen wading through knee-deep water on several roads, with two-wheelers partially submerged. Several drivers were forced to abandon their cars after their engines stalled.
Outside The Magnolias, one of Gurugram’s high-end residential complexes where some apartments are priced at over Rs 50 crore, roads were transformed into virtual rivers, highlighting the stark contrast between the city’s luxury infrastructure and its struggling civic drainage system.