Heavy rain throws life out of gear in Delhi-NCR

Sanjay Yadav

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 19

Life was thrown out of gear in the millennium city as a three-hour-long spell of heavy rain on Wednesday caused flash floods and disrupted electricity supply in many parts.  

The waterlogged streets reminded people of 2016 as among many areas the expressway and underpasses were also flooded and vehicles were seen drowning.   

Electricity was snapped in many parts of the city and the supply could not be restored till the filing of this report.

Along with the civic authorities, 2,000 police personnel took to roads to battle the chaos.

The situation has once again put the local authorities under the scanner as they have failed to tackle the problem despite years of effort.

Chaos prevailed in the city as it started raining heavily early morning. The local police sounded an alert asking people to stay indoors and avoid non-urgent travel.

Within half an hour of rain, the entire city was waterlogged. People took to social media, posting pictures and seeking aid from the authorities. However, their pleas went unanswered for many hours.

The worst affected areas were the Expressway – including all the connected underpasses, Narsinghpur, DLF Phase 3, Bheem Nagar, Model Town, Jyoti Park, Sectors 9, 10, 10A, Kadipur, Sector 15, Patel Nagar, Nathupur, Sushant Lok, Hero Honda Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, MT Chowk, Manesar and Golf Course road.

The picture of a car submerged in water on Gold Course road became the face of the 2020 monsoons in Gurugram.

"We are facing flash floods almost every monsoon. Since morning, the entire staff and residents of the society are struggling to keep the water out. We have been shutting the main gate, using the furniture and even clothes...We have called the MCG a hundred times, but no response," said Vandana Taneja, a resident of Belvedere Park, DLF Phase 3. 

The residents of the Sushant Lok Phase 1 area, which was last flooded in 2010, saw heavy floods. They blamed the MCG for the situation, saying they had removed check dams erected in 2010. 

"Last year, the MCG took over and they removed them (check dams) calling them speed breakers. This has resulted in pushing the water back," said Gurusharan Dhanjal, a resident.

"The electricity supply has been snapped and our parking lot is flooded, so no repair works. We cannot move out and are without electricity for the last seven hours,” said Chanderjeet Yadav, a resident of Meghdoot Apartment, Sector10 A.

The waterlogged roads affected the traffic movement with average waiting time in a jam varying between 20 minutes and one hour across the Expressway, Rajeev Chowk and Hero Honda Flyover. 

The Gurugram Police though emerged as a hero yet again as over 2,000 cops with rolled-up pants and shirts took to roads not just directing or diverting traffic but also repairing vehicles that broke down in the floods.

"We had a plan ready and it has been executed to perfection by the force. There was congestion but we managed to keep things moving," said Police Commissioner KK Rao.

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