Gurugram Waterlogging Returns After Heavy Rain, School Buses Stranded & Roads Cave In

· Free Press Journal

Gurugram, Aug 25: Waterlogging woes returned to haunt Gurugram residents Tuesday as persistent rainfall inundated several areas across the city.

Rain disrupts city life

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The city had little time to let out the water clogging its thoroughfares following intense showers on Monday, as intermittent rains throughout Tuesday, followed by a bout of heavy rainfall in the evening, compounded troubles.

In view of an advisory issued by the district administration, schools across the city held online classes, while several companies instructed employees to work from home.

Road cave-ins were reported from two locations in the city, trapping tyres of heavy vehicles, and once again raising serious questions regarding the condition of roads and the drainage system.

Waterlogging and road issues

The state's highest revenue generator, Gurugram seems to have been left at the mercy of nature during the monsoon. Even with 408 rainwater harvesting systems installed in municipal corporation areas, waterlogging remains unabated.

Around 70 mm rainfall over a 35-minute period left several major roads and underpasses submerged. Approximately 15 vehicles, including nine school buses, were left stranded in waterlogged Subhash Chowk, with more than 300 schoolchildren trapped inside the buses for nearly two hours.

In a separate road submergence incident, a section of a service lane along the Delhi-Jaipur highway caved in at IFFCO Chowk, creating a large pit, officials said, adding that a Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) team reached the site after receiving reports.

Repair work underway

According to a senior officer, a preliminary investigation has revealed that a leakage in a GMDA sewer line washed away the soil beneath the road, causing the surface to collapse. Barricades have been installed around the affected stretch to prevent untoward incidents.

As the service lane is part of the Delhi-Jaipur highway, road repair works will be undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) once the sewer line leakage is fixed.

For now, the area has been barricaded off for motorists, while a GMDA team works to repair the leak, the official added.

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Social media reactions

Videos of inundated thoroughfares and unending traffic jams are going viral on social media platforms.

One such clip shows a little girl stranded in the heavy rain -- bawling.

Another clip, which left netizens astonished, shows a young man working on his laptop while sitting on the roof of a cab which was stranded in a waterlogged street.

With little let-up from waterlogging, Gurugram is also enduring much 'trolling' on social media as disgruntled citizens are letting their feelings known.

"I moved from Delhi to Gurugram 15 years ago. Now, it feels like only my PIN code has changed," an X user wrote -- drawing a parallel with persistent waterlogging in parts of Delhi.

Prerna, a marketing consultant, had a request for the prime minister. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, fire the Gurugram government," she wrote on X.

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Political criticism grows

In a snide remark, actor-writer Suhel Seth said it was very wrong to criticise the waterlogging situation in Gurugram. "The Venice Biennale took place recently, and Chief Minister Nayab Saini has a strong desire for us to have a similar experience. Please think positively. Always view the glass as half-full, not half-empty," he wrote on X.

Other X users were more direct. "In the quest of becoming a 'Vishwaguru', we have failed to do anything for the children. These children deserve better facilities. They live in a city where apartments sell for over Rs 100 crore, yet basic amenities are unavailable. Gurugram is a failed city," one said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala too lashed out at the Haryana chief minister over waterlogging in Gurugram.

In a post on X, Surjewala unleashed a tirade of criticism at the BJP government: "Gurgaon infra has 'collapsed', waterlogged and jammed roads, advisory is to 'work from home'. Nayab Saini and BJP govt's delivery-school buses stranded, roads and streets flooded, people getting electrocuted, govt and administration missing, chaos prevails, fend for yourself and Rs 1,400 crore spent, zero result. This is the Millenium City Gurugram!"

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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