MCG Records Best Monsoon Preparedness in Five Years
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has eliminated 95 of the city’s 155 identified waterlogging hotspots ahead of the monsoon season, marking its best preparedness in five years. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya highlighted this achievement, even as two days of heavy rainfall exposed weaknesses in other parts of the city’s infrastructure.
Heavy Rainfall Overwhelms Drainage Network
Gurugram received 350 mm of rain over two days, overwhelming the drainage network in several areas. Rainfall intensified on Wednesday afternoon, with 82 mm recorded between 2 pm and 4 pm, triggering cave-ins at multiple locations. By Thursday morning, the city had received more than 115 mm of rain in 33 hours. The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert, forecasting more rain through the day.
NH-48 Cave-In Disrupts Traffic
The worst disruption occurred on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway near Narsinghpur, where a section of the road caved in on Tuesday evening. The collapse happened at a site where the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is laying a stormwater drainage culvert using trenchless technology. The National Highways Authority of India blamed the GMDA, stating that rainwater seeped through utility ducts and pipes, eroding the soil beneath the carriageway.
Traffic Snarls Across the City
Traffic snarls were reported at Narsinghpur, Basai, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Extension Road, Rajiv Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Udyog Vihar, Sohna Road, Khandsa Road and Old Delhi Road. Gurugram Police advised corporate offices and private establishments to allow employees to work from home to reduce traffic congestion.
LocalCircles Survey: Gurugram Rated Worst in NCR
Nine out of 10 Gurugram residents rated the city’s waterlogging preparedness as “poor” or “pathetic”, the worst among five Delhi-NCR cities surveyed by community platform LocalCircles. The findings come as the city received more than 115 mm of rain in 33 hours and a section of NH-48 caved in near Narsinghpur.
The survey, based on over 11,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, found that 92% of Gurugram respondents gave the administration a poor or pathetic rating. Delhi followed at 82%, Ghaziabad at 80%, Noida at 73% and Faridabad at 69%. Across the NCR, 79% of respondents rated civic preparedness negatively, with half describing it as “pathetic”.
