GURGAON: The city was hit by its first spell of heavy monsoon rain on Tuesday afternoon, receiving around 82mm of rain in two hours.The rain caused landslides on roads, severe waterlogging and massive traffic jams on main arteries, news agency PTI reported.The downpour, which began around 2 pm and continued till 4 pm, exposed major infrastructure vulnerabilities, with a stretch of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway (NH-48) sinking near Narsinghpur.The collapse forced the closure of two lanes, causing traffic jams that stretched for 8-10 km from IFFCO Chowk to Kherki Daula toll plaza and leaving thousands of commuters stranded.The collapse reportedly occurred on a stretch where the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) was carrying out culvert pushing work. Heavy rain weakened the filled section, causing the road to collapse.Another landslide was reported on Civil Lines Road, where the tires of two parked vehicles became stuck after the road gave way.The section had recently been excavated for sewage works and the rain further destabilized the surface.Notably, the residences of Deputy Commissioner Uttam Kumar, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and Haryana Minister Rao Narbir Singh are located on this VVIP road, prompting residents to question the state of infrastructure in other parts of the city, PTI reported.“If this is the state of a VVIP road, one can only imagine the state of other areas,” said locals.Waterlogging was reported in several parts of the city including Narsinghpur, Basai, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Golf Course Extension Road, Sohna Road, Udyog Vihar, Vatika Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Old Delhi Road, Khandsa Road, Pataudi Road and areas near old and new railway stations.Traffic movement slowed down and school buses and office workers were among the worst affected.In one incident, a school bus fell into an open drain on NH-48, although there were no students on board at the time.Residents took to social media to post videos of submerged roads, stranded vehicles and long queues of traffic, saying official claims of “no flooding” had been washed away by the first heavy rains.Following the disruption, the Delhi Traffic Police and Gurgaon Police issued a traffic advisory, warning commuters about congestion on NH-48 and advising them to use alternative routes.“To ensure smooth traffic flow and prioritize the safety of motorists traveling from Delhi towards Jaipur, route diversions have been implemented,” the advisory said.Vehicles have been advised to turn left at Rajiv Chowk or Hero Honda Chowk and use Southern Peripheral Road (SPR).Motorists coming from Delhi have been asked to use the Dwarka Expressway.Travelers were also advised to allow additional travel time and follow speed limits near the affected stretches.According to police, continuous rains caused waterlogging in several underpasses and low-lying areas, worsening traffic congestion.Additional traffic personnel were deployed at the identified hotspots while senior officers visited the affected locations to monitor the situation.Officials said coordination has been established with the municipal corporation and other departments to clear waterlogged stretches, repair damaged roads and restore normal traffic movement at the earliest.Tehsil rainfall data showed that Kadipur and Harsaru recorded 82 mm, Gurgaon tehsil 76 mm, Manesar 50 mm, Wazirabad 49 mm, Farrukhnagar 27 mm and Sohna and Pataudi 26 mm each.(With contributions from the agency)
