Gurgaon: Heavy rain lashed the city on Friday, bringing several areas to a standstill as waterlogging triggered severe traffic congestion during the evening rush hour. Vehicles crawled along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and other major arterial roads, leaving commuters stranded for hours.The city recorded around 60 mm of rainfall between 8 am and 5 pm. Traffic conditions began worsening after 4, with long queues forming on the expressway and several arterial stretches.Waterlogging on internal roads in Udyog Vihar triggered snarls and affected connecting routes. Long tailbacks were reported at IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Shankar Chowk, Narsinghpur, Sector 14, MG Road, Sikanderpur, Netaji Subhash Marg, Ghata Chowk, Rajokri, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road near Gwalpahari and Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road. Vehicles moved at a snail’s pace as motorists navigated flooded roads. Around 40 vehicles broke down, following which police teams had them removed to ease traffic flow.Commuters said short journeys took more than an hour. Motorists reported that travelling from Rajiv Chowk to IFFCO Chowk, a stretch usually covered in 15 to 20 minutes, took nearly an hour.“It took me around 90 minutes to cover a stretch that usually takes around 30 minutes. Waterlogging at several points and bumper-to-bumper traffic made the commute extremely frustrating,” said Rahul Sharma, who was travelling from Udyog Vihar to Golf Course Road.Neha Gupta, another commuter, said, “Several parts of Udyog Vihar were congested due to waterlogging. I expected the traffic to be less on the road as a work-from-home advisory was issued by the district administration. However, there was no let-up in the volume of traffic and it seemed like any other Friday evening. It took me more than an hour to reach my home in Sector 14 in crawling traffic.”Police said traffic cops remained deployed across the city throughout the day despite continuous rainfall. Teams were stationed at major roads and intersections to regulate movement, monitor congestion and coordinate with civic authorities for pumping out water from flooded stretches.Police said cranes were deployed to remove vehicles that broke down due to waterlogging and prevent prolonged jams on key roads. Fallen trees, branches and other obstructions were also cleared.“During school dispersal hours, traffic personnel assisted children in safely crossing roads. Senior citizens and kanwariyas were also helped cross waterlogged stretches wherever required,” Sandeep Turan, police spokesperson, said, adding that ambulances and other emergency vehicles were given priority by creating clear passages to ensure they reached their destinations without delay.In an advisory, police urged residents to drive cautiously during rainy days, follow traffic rules and contact them in case of traffic-related emergencies or if assistance is required.
