Gurgaon: A spell of rain lashed parts of the city on Tuesday afternoon, bringing respite from the humid weather but also leading to waterlogging on several arterial roads and service lanes.“The rain brought welcome relief from the heat, but the roads were inundated within minutes,” Shivam Verma, a commuter, told TOI, adding, “The road near Vyapar Kendra became difficult to negotiate, especially for two-wheelers.”The downpour also disrupted school transport, with several school buses and vans caught in traffic jams caused by waterlogged roads, delaying students’ return home by hours.Dark clouds engulfed the city shortly after noon, followed by nearly 50 minutes of heavy rain and cool winds that brought down the temperature. Within minutes, waterlogging was reported from several parts of the city, slowing traffic on key stretches, including Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Golf Course Road, Sohna Road, Huda City Centre Metro Station and Sector 45.“Traffic slowed considerably because vehicles were moving cautiously through the accumulated water. Waterlogging has again become a problem after a short spell of rain,” Pawan Goyal, another commuter, said.India Meteorological Department (IMD) has, meanwhile, warned of heavy rainfall over parts of the district. IMD’s Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh, issued a tehsil-level nowcast at 12.27pm, valid till 3.27pm, forecasting heavy rain over parts of the city, Sohna and Taoru. The weather office placed these areas under the “Be Prepared” category, indicating the likelihood of intense showers during the afternoon.The nowcast also forecast moderate rain over parts of Firozpur Jhirka, Punahana, Hodal, Hathin, Nuh, Palwal, Ballabhgarh, Pataudi, Bawal, Rewari, Jhajjar, Bahadurgarh and Faridabad, while light rain was expected across many remaining parts of Haryana.The afternoon showers also led to a sharp drop in temperatures. According to the IMD’s evening bulletin, Gurgaon KVK AWS recorded a maximum temperature of 31.6°C, 4.7°C lower than the previous day, while NorthCap University AWS recorded 30.2°C, a fall of 6.9°C. The NorthCap station also recorded 36mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm, highlighting the uneven distribution of rainfall across the city.A TOI visit found the service road towards Vyapar Kendra in DLF Phase IV submerged under several inches of water, forcing motorists to crawl through the stretch.Waterlogging was also witnessed near Signature Chowk, where commuters and autorickshaws struggled through inundated roads.At DPS Sector 45, internal roads were submerged, partially inundating parked vehicles, while the Rajiv Chowk stretch saw rainwater overflowing onto carriageways, forcing pedestrians to wade through ankle-deep water.The rain affected more than just the city’s arterial roads. Waterlogging was found on Rajendra Park Chowma Road, where nearly 1.5 to two feet of water accumulated, leaving several vehicles stranded. Inundation was also found in New Palam Vihar, New Colony, Madanpuri, Railway Road, Sector 4 Market, Sectors 5, 9, 9A, 10 and 47, with residents complaining of traffic snarls and flooded internal roads. In several locations, rainwater entered shops and residential premises.Apart from the service road towards Vyapar Kendra and stretches in DLF Phase IV, internal roads in Sushant Lok, Chakkarpur village, Sector 27, Hero Honda Chowk and Rajiv Chowk also witnessed water accumulation. Sheetla Mata Road was inundated once again, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing commuters and shopkeepers. Residents said the stretch witnesses flooding almost every monsoon despite repeated assurances of a permanent solution.Waterlogging persisted on several key stretches even hours after the rain had stopped. The Millennium City Centre-Bakhtawar Chowk stretch remained inundated nearly three hours after the showers, forcing motorists to navigate through stagnant water and highlighting persistent drainage issues despite the cessation of rainfall.However, drainage improvement works appeared to have yielded results at some locations. Officials said water receded relatively faster along stretches of the Southern Peripheral Road, IFFCO Chowk, Narsinghpur and the Delhi-Jaipur Highway service lane, where desilting of drains, removal of debris, creation of additional drain inlets and trenchless pipeline works were carried out before the monsoon.According to the IMD’s morning weather bulletin, Gurgaon (AWS) recorded a minimum temperature of 26°C, among the lowest in Haryana on Tuesday. The department said the state’s average minimum temperature was 0.2°C lower than the previous day and remained near normal.Rainfall varied significantly across the district during the day. According to the district administration’s tehsil-wise rainfall report for the period between 8 am and 5 pm, Sohna recorded the highest rainfall at 86 mm, followed by Farrukhnagar (56 mm), Wazirabad (49 mm), Gurgaon tehsil (35 mm), Kadipur (27 mm), Harsaru (27 mm), Manesar (21 mm), Badshahpur (8 mm) and Pataudi (8 mm).An IMD official said monsoon conditions remained favourable over southern Haryana.“Heavy rainfall is very likely over isolated parts of Gurgaon, Sohna and Taoru during the nowcast period. Short-duration intense spells may result in water accumulation in low-lying areas, reduced visibility and traffic disruption. People should exercise caution while travelling,” an IMD official said.The IMD’s district bulletin also warned of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in the city, Jhajjar, Nuh, Palwal, Faridabad, Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal, and forecast light to moderate rainfall at most places over the next few days, with heavy to very heavy rain likely at isolated places on Wednesday and Thursday.The rain revived concerns over the city’s recurring monsoon flooding, with residents pointing to waterlogging at locations that have repeatedly witnessed drainage issues during previous rainy seasons. Civic officials continued to monitor vulnerable stretches as the IMD forecast indicated the possibility of more heavy showers.
