GURGAON: Heavy rain and widespread waterlogging brought Gurgaon traffic to a crawl on Monday, prompting a stream of sarcastic posts and memes on social media as flooded roads and stranded commuters became the focus of online jibes.The city received around 70 mm of rain by 1.30pm, according to the district administration.Waterlogging was reported in Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk and several parts of old Gurgaon.Vehicles were stuck in water around Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were also caught in waterlogging on Sohna Road.Commuters were seen wading through flooded streets, while traffic remained slow on several key roads.A large section of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway near Cyber Hub, opposite Gateway Tower Metro station, was submerged. Sheetla Mata Road, one of the city’s flood-prone stretches, was also among the worst affected.The rain and its impact quickly became fodder for social media humour.“How long will Gurgaon be work from sea?” one user posted.Another joked, “Forget Trump. Gurgaon is ready. Bring in the ships. We are declaring the Strait of Gurgaon open now. Free passage.”“Gurgaon’s monsoon infrastructure is working perfectly — if the goal is to turn roads into swimming pools,” another post read.One user wrote that a rider had rescued them from the rain and dropped them to their “Rs 300 crore DLF neighbourhood”, while another said they had “skipped buying a depreciating asset, a car” and invested in stocks instead.The jokes also reflected frustration among residents dealing with prolonged traffic disruptions.“My children’s school is barely 3 km from home. My driver has been stuck in traffic for 4+ hours trying to reach them and still hasn’t arrived,” one post said. “One spell of rain and Gurgaon comes to a standstill. Is a WFH advisory the only solution every monsoon?”Another post said, “Gurgaon is 180 degree opposite to what Urban Infra should be.”The rain also prompted residents to compare the waterlogged city with Venice. One post said, “No taste of Venice for us,” after its author said they had moved from Golf Course Road to Noida.Meanwhile, traffic police personnel were deployed at several locations, including Sirhaul border, Rajiv Chowk and Narsinghpur, to manage the congestion.Waterlogging was reported around Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road, Basai Road and Naharpur underpass. In old Gurgaon, Sadar Bazar and Gurdwara Road also witnessed traffic disruptions.Civic officials inspected waterlogging-prone areas and directed teams to keep pumping arrangements active and drain accumulated water as soon as reports were received.The district administration has also advised corporate offices, government and private schools and institutions to work from home on Tuesday, citing the possibility of waterlogging and traffic congestion after Monday’s heavy rain.
