The first heavy monsoon rain of the season lashed Gurugram on Tuesday afternoon, bringing relief from the hot and humid weather but also causing widespread waterlogging and infrastructure damage. The main carriageway of the Delhi-Jaipur highway (NH-48) near Narsinghpur caved in due to the downpour, forcing authorities to close two lanes. The Gurugram police issued a traffic advisory and announced diversions to manage the situation.
Road Cave-Ins and Traffic Disruptions
Following the cave-in on NH-48, the Gurugram police advised commuters to take alternative routes. “To ensure smooth traffic flow and prioritise the safety of motorists travelling from Delhi towards Jaipur, route diversions have been implemented,” the advisory stated. Commuters were directed to take a left at Rajiv Chowk and use SPR Road, or a left at Hero Honda Chowk and proceed via SPR Road. Those coming from Delhi were advised to use the Dwarka Expressway. The closure of two lanes led to a traffic jam stretching several kilometres from Hero Honda Chowk to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, leaving many vehicles stranded.
In a separate incident, Civil Lines Road also caved in after heavy rain, leaving the tyres of a Toyota and a Scorpio parked there badly stuck. The road had been dug up recently for sewer pipeline work and collapsed due to rainwater. Notably, the residence of Deputy Commissioner Uttam Kumar is located just 100 meters from the spot, while the homes of Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and Minister Rao Narbir are situated 200 meters away. The stretch is popularly known as ‘VVIP Road’. Local residents remarked, “If this is the condition of VVIP Road, one can only imagine the state of other parts of the city.”
Waterlogging Across the City
Due to heavy rainfall, several areas of the city were submerged again, exposing gaps in the administration’s claims of ‘no waterlogging’. The rain caused severe congestion and waterlogging on highways and key roads. Residents shared videos on social media showing flooded streets across the city. Commuter Arjun Goyal said, “It usually takes 5-6 minutes to travel from Gurugram to Rajiv Chowk and then to Hero Honda Chowk, but today it took nearly 45 minutes. There seems to be no way out of this jam.”
The rain began around 2 pm and continued uninterrupted until 4 pm. The persistent downpour led to waterlogging on most major roads, slowing traffic across the city. The impact was most severe on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Areas reporting long traffic jams due to waterlogging included Narsinghpur on Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Basai, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Extension Road, Rajiv Chowk, Vatika Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Udyog Vihar, Sohna Road, Khandsa Road, Old Delhi Road, Pataudi Road, Millennium City Centre to Hero Honda Chowk Road, Old Gurugram-Delhi Road, Basai Road, and Old and New Railway Station roads. Traffic police personnel were deployed across these areas to manage vehicular movement.
Rainfall Data and Alerts
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), more than 50 mm of rainfall was recorded in some areas within an hour, prompting the issuance of yellow and red alerts. People have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel. Gurugram recorded a maximum of 82 mm of rain on Tuesday. Tehsil-wise data showed Kadipur and Harsaru sub-tehsils recorded 82 mm, Gurugram tehsil 76 mm, Manesar 50 mm, Wazirabad 49 mm, Farrukhnagar 27 mm, Pataudi 26 mm, Sohna 26 mm, and Badshahpur the lowest at 15 mm.
