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After roads cave in and traffic stalls, Gurugram advises corporates to work from home

• By Samriddhi Srivastava
After roads cave in and traffic stalls, Gurugram advises corporates to work from home

The season's first spell of heavy monsoon rain exposed Gurugram's infrastructure and mobility challenges on Tuesday, disrupting traffic across key corridors and prompting Gurugram Police to advise corporates and private establishments to allow employees to work from home over the next few days.

The advisory came after heavy rainfall led to road cave-ins, waterlogging, stranded vehicles and severe congestion across several parts of the city, stretching emergency response teams and traffic personnel.

According to official statements and local media reports, the recommendation aims to reduce non-essential vehicular movement, improve commuter safety and help authorities manage deteriorating road conditions.

Road cave-ins and flooded roads bring traffic to a crawl

The most significant disruption occurred on the Delhi-Jaipur highway (NH-48) near Narsinghpur, where heavy rain caused the main carriageway to cave in, forcing authorities to close two lanes.

The closure resulted in a massive traffic jam between Hero Honda Chowk and Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours. In response, Gurugram Police diverted traffic moving from Delhi towards Jaipur to ease congestion.

A second cave-in was reported on Civil Line Road, where the road surface collapsed after recent sewer line excavation work. Two parked vehicles became trapped as their tyres sank into the damaged stretch. The road is located close to the residence of Deputy Commissioner Uttam Kumar and is also used by other senior officials, including Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and Haryana minister Rao Narbir.

Meanwhile, waterlogging affected several arterial roads and intersections, slowing traffic across the city during peak afternoon hours, coinciding with school dispersal.

A school bus also slipped into an open drain along NH-48. According to reports, no students were on board and no injuries were reported.

Police ask companies to reduce commuter traffic

With forecasts indicating continued rainfall, Gurugram Police urged companies to temporarily adopt work-from-home arrangements.

The advisory highlighted the growing risk of waterlogging and congestion across major roads and intersections.

Police said the measure is intended to:

"We strongly urge the corporate sector and private establishments to encourage Work from Home (WFH) arrangements for their employees for the next few days," the advisory said.

It added that minimising non-essential vehicular movement would assist traffic management teams in maintaining smoother traffic flow while keeping emergency services accessible.

Multiple city roads remain affected

Several parts of Gurugram reported prolonged congestion as rainwater accumulated on roads and underpasses.

Among the worst-affected locations were:

Residents also shared videos and photographs on social media showing flooded roads, stalled traffic and vehicles stranded in waterlogged areas.

82 mm rainfall recorded as authorities step up response

According to an official statement, Gurugram recorded up to 82 mm of rainfall on Tuesday. Rainfall recorded across the district included:

To restore normal traffic movement, Gurugram Police deployed additional personnel across affected locations. Senior officers visited key stretches to monitor conditions and coordinate response efforts.

Authorities also deployed cranes, recovery vehicles, pumps and water tankers to rescue stranded vehicles and clear flooded areas. Police said support from private resources was used where necessary.

Officials added that coordination is underway with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to remove waterlogging, clear damaged road surfaces and restore traffic movement as quickly as possible.

With more rainfall expected, authorities have maintained enhanced deployment across the city and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel while restoration work continues.