Gurgaon: Heavy morning showers in the city on Wednesday led to widespread waterlogging and traffic congestion across several key roads, delaying commuters and disrupting traffic on both internal roads and parts of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.While traffic movement was affected in many areas — near Ambience Mall, Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Sohna Road and MG Road — the situation was particularly difficult inside Udyog Vihar, where waterlogging brought traffic movement under severe strain.Long queues of vehicles built up on several stretches, with office-goers caught in slow-moving traffic during the morning rush.“Udyog Vihar definitely needs special attention from the concerned authorities,” Bipin Sharma, a commuter who was passing through Udyog Vihar and got stuck in a traffic jam, said, adding, “Every time it rains, the roads get completely choked or heavy congestion is witnessed. There are scores of offices or industrial units here and thus thousands of people come to Udyog Vihar daily but they struggle to reach office whenever it rains due to waterlogged roads leading to traffic congestion.”The congestion also spilled over towards Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway near Shankar Chowk. The carriageway near Ambience Mall was flooded, slowing traffic further and adding to the morning rush-hour disruption.The heavy rain and waterlogged roads significantly slowed down vehicles, with commuters facing delays on several important routes. Traffic was also affected on connecting roads around the major junctions, adding to the disruption.“It took me 45 minutes to reach Rajiv Chowk from Sirhaul toll due to traffic congestion amid rains but then there was no rain ahead of Rajiv Chowk and the traffic was smooth and I could reach Bilaspur in around 30 minutes,” Rohit Sharma, a daily commuter to the city, said.The condition of roads in some areas compounded the problem. Huge potholes on Udyog Vihar-3 road made it difficult for vehicles to negotiate the waterlogged stretch. The road, which has been in a state of neglect, turned into a major trouble spot as rainwater accumulated around the potholes.For pedestrians, the situation was even more difficult. The Phase-3 stretch already has limited space for people to walk, with vehicles parked along the roadside and spaces occupied by horticulture activity. With the road waterlogged and traffic moving through congested stretches, pedestrians heading towards their workplaces were forced to negotiate difficult conditions.“I had to walk through waterlogged and broken roads, with already no space because of parked vehicles and roadside encroachments. My clothes got drenched in water as I walked through the waterlogged space and vehicles further splashed water on me,” said Namit Yadav, who was walking towards his workplace in Udyog Vihar-3.A similar problem was seen on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, where the poor condition of the road added to the difficulties faced by motorists amid the rain as they also had bumpy rides.With several major roads and junctions affected simultaneously, commuters faced prolonged travel times as traffic crawled through waterlogged stretches. The disruption was especially significant on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway from Sirhaul toll plaza till Rajiv Chowk and roads connecting key commercial and residential areas of the city.A traffic police officer said that the traffic cops remain deployed at the key roads amid rains to clear the congestion and work to decongest several stretches in the city is in progress.
