It’s Jalgram again: Millennium City flooded after three-hour downpour
Millennium City turned into ‘Jalgram’ once again on Wednesday night as 133 mm of rainfall in just under three hours brought Gurugram to a complete halt — turning roads into rivers, flooding homes and triggering massive traffic gridlocks across the city.
Despite repeated assurances by political leaders — including CM Nayab Saini, Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh — that Gurugram would be waterlogging-free this monsoon, the deluge exposed the fragile urban infrastructure. All three had held meetings in recent weeks promising better preparedness, but the city was overwhelmed within hours of heavy rain.
Rao Narbir Singh said, “We have marked an inquiry. No doubt the rain was heavy, but where there is inefficiency of the authorities responsible, action will be taken. The city handled the situation better, but a lot needs to be done.”
MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said: “The crisis stems from core planning and execution issues, which will take time to rectify. We had very heavy rain in a short spell of time, but still managed to resolve crises in the majority of areas with our special night teams.” Special ‘Night Rangers’ teams were deployed to unclog drains, remove fallen trees and offer temporary fixes in critical zones.
Residents and commuters battled severe waterlogging and unprecedented traffic snarls. Several took to social media to highlight their ordeal, with many saying it took them over four hours to cover a distance of just 10 km. Scores of people were stranded at offices and chose to spend the night there or in nearby hotels.
The rain began around 7:30 pm and intensified through 9 pm, wreaking havoc. Key roads like Golf Course Road, MG Road, Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension, Gurugram-Faridabad Road, Southern Peripheral Road, Sector 10, Hero Honda Chowk to Subhash Chowk, Sheetla Mata Road, and the Palam Vihar–Kapashera border stretch were submerged. Broken-down vehicles added to the congestion.
The situation evoked memories of the infamous 2016 “Gurujam.” However, timely efforts by Gurugram Traffic Police and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) helped prevent a complete breakdown. Personnel were seen working tirelessly — repairing stranded vehicles, manually opening drains and pushing cars through knee-deep water.
Residential areas also bore the brunt, with many homes flooded and electricity disrupted. The Southern Peripheral Road caved in for the third time this year, highlighting serious structural flaws.
The MCG has spent Rs 450 crore since 2016 for the cleaning of drains and construction in Gurugram to avoid waterlogging. Still the city is paralysed every monsoon. Unofficial estimates put the damage at Rs 20 crore, which includes repairs for cave-ins, road damages, disrupted drainage and sewerage, and damage to personal properties.
Senior Congress leader Raj Babbar hit out at the BJP’s “triple-engine” government, saying: “A high-potential city like Gurugram has been turned into an urban mess. BJP sold the idea of a triple-engine government as the ultimate solution to all woes — look what has happened. The Chief Minister must fix responsibility and take action. This is about leadership and corruption.”
Haryana Tribune