Gurugram schools to hold online classes tomorrow due to heavy rain, waterlogging

The Gurugram administration on Monday advised corporate offices to allow employees to work from home on Tuesday and ordered government and private schools and educational institutions to conduct classes online in view of heavy rainfall and the possibility of waterlogging and traffic congestion, officials said. The advisory was issued after around an hour of heavy rainfall inundated several parts of the city on Monday, slowing traffic on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway and key roads and leaving school buses and ambulances stranded at several locations.

Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner and chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, said the work-from-home advisory for corporate and private offices would remain in effect on August 25. The decision was aimed at reducing traffic congestion and facilitating repair and maintenance work on roads and drains by civic agencies, an official statement said. The administration subsequently amended the advisory to direct all government and private schools and educational institutions in the district to conduct classes online on Tuesday, citing the safety of students and staff and the likelihood of traffic congestion due to waterlogging.

The downpour caused waterlogging in Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk and several areas of old Gurugram. Vehicles were stuck in water around Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were also caught in waterlogging on Sohna Road. The district administration said Gurugram received 70 mm of rainfall by 1.30 pm. Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road were among the areas heavily affected. Naharpur underpass was also waterlogged.

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School buses stuck in traffic

School buses remained stranded for several hours at some locations, including near Rail Vihar in Sector 47 and Subash Chowk, prompting residents to raise concerns over the situation on social media. On X, one resident said their child had been stuck in a bus for over four hours, while another criticised the authorities and called for an overhaul of the system. A third user said residents had been highlighting the city's waterlogging problem for years but "nothing has changed".

Traffic movement on several roads remained slow, with commuters seen wading through flooded streets. Waterlogging in parts of old Gurugram, including Sadar Bazar, Gurdwara Road and Old Delhi Road, led to traffic jams till afternoon. A senior traffic police officer said vehicular movement was choked near the Sirhaul border, Rajiv Chowk, Narsinghpur and some other locations. Traffic police personnel were deployed to manage the situation. Gurugram Traffic Police also used drones to monitor waterlogged areas and major roads during the rainfall, officials said. The aerial surveillance helped assess traffic conditions, identify sensitive locations and issue directions to personnel deployed on the ground.

A large section of the expressway near Cyber Hub, opposite Gateway Tower Metro station, was submerged, disrupting traffic on the major thoroughfare. Sheetla Mata Road, which has emerged as one of Gurugram's flood-prone locations this monsoon, was among the worst affected. Municipal Corporation officials remained active on the ground during the rainfall. Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and Additional Municipal Commissioner Yash Jaluka inspected waterlogging-prone areas along with officials from the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority and National Highways Authority of India. Dahiya directed officials to keep pumping arrangements active in waterlogged areas and ensure that teams reach sites immediately upon receiving reports of waterlogging and drain the accumulated water.