Gurugram submerged again; BJP blames officials for monsoon mess

Heavy rain brought Gurugram to a standstill on Thursday, with widespread waterlogging across highways, residential areas, markets, and even the civil hospital. Despite deployment of civic agency teams, knee-deep water flooded key stretches, sparking massive traffic jams and stranding commuters for hours.

Tall claims, no groundwork

It’s been more than a decade since the BJP came to power, and all they’ve done is make tall claims. Every monsoon they declare there will be no waterlogging, and when the city floods, they start blaming the officials.

— Pankaj Dawar, congress leader

National Highway-8 looked more like a parking lot, as users flooded social media with photos and videos of stalled traffic, submerged cars, and people wading through waterlogged roads. Sohna Road resembled a choked canal, forcing many to abandon their vehicles.

The chaos triggered political reaction, with Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli blaming civic officials for the mess.

"When it suddenly rains, we take actions to resolve the issues that come up. In many flooded lanes and roads, grass and mud is found stuck. Despite allocation of funds and sanctioning of cleaning work, there is a lapse on part of officials. We will work on it," Badoli said, addressing media on the sidelines of a BJP meeting in the city.

While acknowledging that the BJP is in power for the third consecutive term, he maintained that there had been marked improvement in Gurugram’s condition since 2014 when the party first formed government.

However, city residents and Opposition leaders weren’t convinced.

Local Congress leader Pankaj Dawar hit back, saying the government had no answers after a decade in power.

"It's been more than a decade since they came to power, and all they’ve done is make tall claims. Every monsoon they declare there will be no waterlogging, but when the city floods, they blame the officials," Dawar said.

Major traffic bottlenecks were reported at Rajiv Chowk, Sohna Road and the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR). Office-goers reported spending over two hours to cover just a few kilometres. Residents of sectors 48, 49, 50, and 66 said auto drivers refused rides, while app-based cab fares surged.

Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) teams were seen operating pumps in several areas, but many remained waterlogged till late afternoon.