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The full impact of three days of non-stop rain in Gurugram, and the rest of the National Capital Region, became visible on Saturday as more and more localities, low-lying areas, major roads,underpasses and junctions -- even those that withstood the rain battering for two days -- went under water, throwing traffic into complete chaos and life into a disarray.

Responding to the exigent situation, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar Saturday directed deputy commissioners of all affected districts to ensure that water is drained from inundated areas at the earliest.

“Waterlogging should be resolved with immediate effect so that common people and farmers do not face inconveniences. Necessary machinery such as pumps, motors, HDPE pipes, etc. should be arranged in the districts,” he said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city will continue to receive moderate rain on Sunday as well.

Heavy waterlogging was reported from Narsinghpur on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, Manesar on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, stretches between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, Sector 10, 4, and 5, Subash Chowk, Bakhtawar Chowk, Sectors 30 and 31, Sushant Lok, and several parts of Udyog Vihar.

Traffic police issued an advisory on Saturday morning asking commuters to avoid the Narsinghpur stretch which was heavily inundated. Many vehicles broke down and people were seen pushing them through the waterlogged roads.

Residents of Mayfield Garden also complained of heavy waterlogging on the main sector road as one of the stormwater drains got blocked. As a result, water flowed heavily towards Bakhtawar Chowk and Sohna Road. “The main road has been heavily waterlogged for the last three days, highly inconveniencing residents. A drain seems to be blocked which is adding to the problem,” Dharmvir Yadav, resident, Mayfield Garden, said.

The average rainfall in Gurugram district, over a 24-hour period ending 8.30am Saturday, was 84.5mm. Gurugram tehsil received 59mm rain, Kadipur 58mm, Harsaru 58mm, Wazirabad 66mm, Badshahpur 62mm, Sohna 24mm, Manesar 55mm, Pataudi 105mm and Farukhnagar 30mm, the district administration data showed.

“Heavy to very heavy rain over the last three days was caused by clouds shifting from the Bay of Bengal to eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, cloud activity will weaken and moderate rain is expected on Sunday,” Manmohan Singh, director, IMD, Chandigarh, said.

Waterlogging was also reported from the Old-Delhi Gurgaon Road, Palam Vihar, Sector 10, Basai Road, Sectors 23 and 23, Sheetla Mata Road, Sushant Lok 1, and Sectors 30 and 31, among several other colonies. However, with most government and private offices closed for the weekend, there was less traffic on the roads.

“I encountered heavy waterlogging at Narsinghpur, Manesar, and Sector 10. The potholes on the stretch between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk are damaging cars,” a traffic police official said.

Sudhir Rajpal, chief executive officer, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) visited several areas in the city and the national highway to inspect flood relief measures undertaken by the authority. Rajpal directed officials to expedite remedial measures and ensure that men and machinery were deployed at the earliest wherever needed.

According to Vikram Singh, executive engineer, infrastructure II division, GMDA, teams are working hard to drain water from heavily inundated locations, particularly Narsinghpur, Mayfield Garden and adjoining areas. “A stormwater drain at Mayfield Garden seems to be blocked by a concrete wall. We sent divers inside the drain to figure out a solution. The water from this area is spilling on to Bakhtwar Chowk and Sohna Road causing further flooding,” he said.

Singh said three days of heavy rain were unanticipated and the authority is trying to resolve waterlogging issues by deploying more pumps, and channelising water wherever possible.

Abhishek Behl is principal correspondent, Hindustan Times in Gurgaon Bureau. He covers infrastructure, planning and civic agencies in the city. He has been covering Gurgaon as correspondent for the last 10 years, and has written extensively on the city. ...view detail

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