2-hour rain floods city, shuts Medanta underpass again

Overnight Rain Exposes Gurugram's Waterlogging Woes

Gurugram woke up to waterlogged streets on Saturday after an overnight spell of rain lasting around two hours from 1am, as reported by The Times of India. The downpour inundated several residential roads, major stretches and underpasses, once again exposing the city's recurring drainage problem.

Water accumulated on internal roads in sectors 14 and 15, Old MG Road and several parts of the old city. Waterlogging was also witnessed around Police Lines, Dhanwapur Road, sectors 4, 7, 9 and 10, Arjun Nagar, Jyoti Park, New Colony, Kadipur, Basai Road, Sushant Lok, Sheetla Mata Road, Old Delhi Road and near Aggarwal Dharamshala Chowk, among other areas, according to The Times of India.

Medanta Underpass Shut Again

The Medanta underpass was shut and barricaded after rainwater accumulated on the carriageway — the third time this monsoon that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has had to close it due to flooding, The Times of India reported. At Mahavir Chowk, the underpass was also flooded, though traffic continued to move through the waterlogged stretch, with the accumulation slowing movement during the morning rush.

NHAI officials said rainwater had overflowed from the main road into the Medanta underpass, forcing its closure as a precaution, and that pumping machines had been deployed to drain the water and facilitate reopening. The authority is now looking at a longer-term fix instead of relying solely on pumping out water after each spell.

"An authority engineer has been asked to conduct a detailed study of the site and examine what interventions can be made. The study will assess the drainage arrangement, identify measures to prevent rainwater from overflowing from the main road into the underpass, and recommend remedial steps," an NHAI official said.

Rainfall and Temperature Data

Rainfall intensity varied across the city. Kadipur and Harsaru recorded the highest rainfall at 83mm each, followed by Gurgaon tehsil at 75mm and Wazirabad at 69mm. Badshapur recorded 62mm, Sohna 55mm, Farrukhnagar 15mm, Manesar 4mm and Pataudi 3mm, as per The Times of India.

The overnight showers brought the night-time temperature down by three degrees, with the city's minimum recorded at 24.3°C, down from 27.7°C a day earlier. At NorthCap University, the minimum temperature fell to 25°C from 28.3°C on Friday. The maximum temperature stood at 33.9°C, marginally lower than 34.4°C the previous day (34.7°C at NorthCap University). The weather turned humid later in the day under a clear sky.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rain over the next three days, The Times of India added.

Orange Alert and Widespread Waterlogging

Separately, Hindustan Times reported that Gurugram on Monday witnessed intense spells of rain, inundating several arterial roads, residential pockets and highways. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Gurugram and forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across parts of Haryana.

Several parts of the city reported ankle-to-knee-deep water on roads. Waterlogging was reported in Sector 10 near Euro International School, South City-1, Sector 69's Tulip Chowk and 60-metre road, Narsinghpur, sectors 9, 14 and 45, DLF Phase 3's V Block, Ardee City towards Sector 52, Sector 52A, Sector 5 and the Airia Mall stretch on Sohna Road, according to Hindustan Times.

The Sector 52A market was among the most affected areas, with visuals showing commuters wading through knee-deep water. Waterlogging was also reported around Sector 29, Club Palms and the main road near DLF Super Mart.

Traffic Disruption and Police Response

The rain severely affected traffic movement across the city. Slow-moving traffic was reported on major routes, including Rajiv Chowk, Sector 15 Part 2, Sector 67's Main Gujjar Road, Old Railway Road, the Mini Secretariat stretch, NH-48, IFFCO Chowk, Sohna Road and several parts of Old Gurugram, as per Hindustan Times.

Traffic police teams were deployed at key locations to regulate vehicle movement and manage congestion. "Traffic teams have been deployed on site for managing vehicle movement, and assistance from local police stations has also been taken. We will take up route diversions wherever necessary," said ACP traffic (headquarters and highways) Satyapal Yadav. "Sensitive points like Sheetla Mata Underpass are being taken care of. NHAI also has workers deployed on the site," he added.

Civic Preparedness Under Scrutiny

The rain once again raised questions over the monsoon preparedness of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), particularly as several of the affected stretches have repeatedly faced waterlogging during the rainy season, Hindustan Times reported. The MCG office in Sector 34 was affected by rainwater accumulating in its parking area, submerging the tyres of several cars.

Civic agencies carried out desilting of stormwater drains ahead of and during the monsoon, and the MCG and GMDA floated tenders for installing sump wells at several locations to improve drainage. Residents said recurring waterlogging at the same locations highlighted the need for a more permanent solution to the city's drainage problems.