400 distress calls & 200 immobile vehicles: How few hours of rains brought millennium city Gurgaon to its knees

The Gurugram traffic police received a large number of distress calls on Wednesday after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc on the city's road network, leaving commuters stranded on waterlogged stretches and triggering widespread traffic disruptions. Over 400 calls were recorded between 7 am and 2.30 am the next day, according to police officials.

A large number of callers reported vehicle breakdowns, requested assistance in removing stalled vehicles, or sought information on alternate, less congested routes. Several also expressed concern about waterlogging along their commute paths.
Widespread disruptions and emergency response
In response to the chaos, traffic police deployed 32 cranes borrowed from civic agencies to remove 222 stranded or abandoned vehicles across the city. “People were in severe panic as they were unable to make their way home because of the jams. Traffic moved at a snail’s pace,” a traffic official said.

Among the distress calls was one from a woman travelling with her nine-year-old daughter near Sheetla Mata temple. “She sounded frightened. She was unable to start her car because water got into it,” the official said. A team was sent to assist her, the car was towed, and they were safely escorted home. The distress calls were made to helpline numbers 1097 and 9999981800.

Cave-in worsens traffic chaos
Several key locations were severely affected, including Subash Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sheetla Mata Chowk, Pasco traffic light near Signature Tower, Iffco Chowk, Badshapur bus stand, Himgiri Chowk, 42/27 Intersection, and Z Chowk. In addition to private vehicles, passenger buses also broke down in the waterlogged conditions.

A significant cave-in on Southern Peripheral Road added to the disruption. Police said the cave-in occurred because the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) had left the site of a newly installed drainage pipe unpaved, covering it only with sand. Despite repeated warnings from traffic personnel, the issue was not addressed, resulting in a truck falling into the crater. The area was later barricaded and traffic was diverted.
Fallen trees and extended police deployment
Traffic police also removed six trees that had fallen across major roads, including between Z Chowk and Iffco Chowk metro station, near Gold Souk, in front of Medanta hospital, on Kankrola-Bhangrola Road, and at the PWD resthouse road.

“To tackle the situation, we deployed 72 traffic cops at 23 critical waterlogging points,” said DCP Traffic Rajesh Mohan. “Normally, traffic cops are on duty from 8 am to 8 pm, but in this case, they worked night shifts at over 100 traffic points. We did not wait for other departments to remove trees. We also contacted prominent companies to advise work-from-home for employees to reduce congestion.”
Residents express frustration
The disruption brought back memories of earlier flooding incidents for many residents. “It felt like déjà vu. I witnessed the 2016 Gurujam. Nine years later, the city is still flooding after one proper spell of rainfall,” said Meenakshi Bhardwaj, a marketing executive who was stuck near Huda City Centre.

“I tried to book a cab to get home from work, but I failed. Finally, a colleague dropped me home. When I reached, my living room was flooded. Cockroaches were all over the place. It was a nightmare. It felt like an apocalypse,” she added.

Police and civic officials said cleanup operations are ongoing, and an assessment of damage caused by the rain is underway.

(With inputs from TOI)