In just three hours — from 12 pm to 3 pm on Wednesday — Gurgaon received 33 mm of rain, bringing the city to a grinding halt for the second consecutive day.
As a result, commuters found themselves battling traffic snarls while also wading through murky, ankle-deep water, as several parts of the city witnessed waterlogging.
The brunt of the rainfall was felt across four main stretches. Vehicles struggled to move through a heavily flooded Atul Kataria Chowk, while two-wheeler riders struggled to make their way through a waterlogged stretch near the Rapid Metro in Sikanderpur.
Similarly, scenes of chaos prevailed outside the Rajiv Chowk petrol pump, where traffic came to a standstill in the wake of the heavy downpour. Meanwhile, pedestrians and motorists alike had to contend with flooded lanes near Sheetla Mata Road.
Meanwhile, a small portion near the Gurudwara side of Medanta Road witnessed temporary water accumulation, as cleaning and restoration work on the adjoining surface drain was underway.
However, officials at the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) claimed that most of the 42 identified waterlogging-prone locations across sectors 1 to 80 remained free from prolonged water accumulation.
GMDA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PC Meena said that the authority had identified 42 vulnerable locations that had witnessed recurring waterlogging during previous monsoon seasons.
“To address these issues, the Engineering Wing carried out extensive drainage strengthening works, including desilting of surface drains, restoration of stormwater channels, improvement of drainage connectivity and other engineering interventions to enhance the capacity of the city’s stormwater drainage network. At the majority of these locations, no significant waterlogging was reported. At a few locations where water accumulated temporarily due to the intensity of the rainfall, it receded within nearly two hours, ensuring that traffic movement remained largely uninterrupted and public inconvenience was kept to a minimum,” he said.
Among the locations where the interventions proved particularly effective were AIT Chowk, St. Xavier’s School Junction, Tulip Chowk, Medanta Road, Artemis Hospital Road, Rezang La Chowk, Sector 22/23, and Sector 45/46 Road, the CEO said.
Further, the CEO claimed that no waterlogging was reported anywhere along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), including the Golf Course Extension Road corridor.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) said in a statement that its pre-monsoon dewatering efforts successfully increased pond storage capacity in key waterlogging-prone areas over the last two days.
“Ponds in Palra, Dhanwapur, Darbaripur, Tulip Chowk, and Khedki Majra successfully accumulated 10–12 feet of rainwater, aiding groundwater recharge and reducing drainage pressure. Permanent drainage improvements yielded significant relief in previously flood-prone areas, including Rajendra Park, Surat Nagar, Sector 17, and wards 30 and 32. Despite 87 mm of rainfall in some areas, effective storm-water management and active field teams using dewatering pumps ensured smooth water discharge,” the MCG stated.
Meanwhile, amid the rainfall, maximum temperatures in Gurgaon fell by 9.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while the minimum dipped by up to 4.8 degrees.
Commuters found themselves battling traffic snarls while also wading through murky, ankle-deep water, as several parts of the city witnessed waterlogging. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) 
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