Gurugram rain horror: Cratered roads, stranded cars, 400+ distress calls as panic grips commuters

Gurgaon has been flooded by rain and traffic snarls are a common sight. (Image: @ashwinning/Twitter)

A nightmarish day unfolded in Gurugram on Wednesday as torrential rain brought traffic to a standstill, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and triggering over 400 distress calls to the city’s traffic helpline within a span of just seven hours.

Frantic callers dialled 1097 and 9999981800 seeking help with waterlogged roads, stalled cars, broken-down buses and information on alternative routes to avoid snarls. According to TOI, most calls were about abandoned or stuck vehicles, with panicked commuters seeking urgent assistance.

Traffic police were deployed in full force to tackle the deluge and chaos. Over 222 vehicles were towed from flooded or gridlocked stretches of the city, using 32 cranes sourced from civic authorities. In many cases, drivers abandoned their vehicles mid-road as rising water made further movement impossible, officials said.

One of the distress calls that stood out involved a woman and her nine-year-old daughter stranded near Sheetla Mata temple. “She sounded frightened. She was unable to start her car because water got into it,” a traffic officer was quoted by TOI, adding that help was immediately dispatched, the car towed and the duo safely escorted home.

Critical areas bore the brunt of the disruption. Subash Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sheetla Mata Chowk and Iffco Chowk were among the worst-hit junctions. Waterlogging crippled major intersections, with traffic crawling through deep water and broken roads.

A major cave-in on the Southern Peripheral Road exacerbated the situation, causing widespread jams extending to neighbouring sectors and Golf Course Road. Traffic police attributed the collapse to negligence by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), which had failed to properly pave an area after installing a drainage pipe. Despite prior warnings from police, officials allegedly did not act in time, as per TOI. Eventually, a truck plunged into the resulting crater, forcing authorities to barricade the stretch and redirect traffic.

Adding to the woes were uprooted trees, which further choked traffic. Six major trees were cleared by the police from routes including Z Chowk to Iffco Chowk metro station, the road between Z Chowk and Gold Souk, outside Medanta hospital, Kankrola-Bhangrola Road and PWD resthouse road.

Faced with the growing crisis, Gurugram Police deployed 72 personnel across 23 vulnerable waterlogging hotspots. According to DCP Traffic Rajesh Mohan, the department also ensured traffic cops were present at over 100 points, extending their duty well beyond the usual 8 am-8 pm schedule, TOI reported. Officials have already banned the sale of meat on footpaths, near Kanwar camps, or in open areas along the pilgrimage route.