- By Shubham Bajpai
- Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The southwest monsoon has battered Gurugram this season, with the latest spell of rainfall in the last few days bringing the city to its knees. The visuals that surfaced in the aftermath of the torrential showers showed long traffic queues, submerged vehicles, and flooded underpasses, among others, which raise serious questions about the government's and administration's preparedness.
The waterlogging after the rain exposed a chronic urban flaw: the city’s failure to drain water quickly, which stems from various reasons, including topographical neglect, urban overdevelopment, infrastructural fragility, and fractured governance.
It wasn't always like this, as among all Delhi-NCR cities, Gurugram's soil is more porous and sandy. This helps in the better percolation of rainwater into the ground.
However, the current condition of the city speaks volumes about how it was being completely overlooked while planning the city's development.
Gurugram is not only facing the problem of heavy rain-caused waterlogging like any other city, but also, there is no way for the rainwater to go, making the drainage process slow and time-consuming.
After a spell of rainfall, the tech city takes about 1-2 days to drain out completely. Satendra, a resident of Kanhayigaon, Sector 45, says that with just half an hour of rainfall, his area suffers severe waterlogging.
"The waterlogged roads and streets become a big issue during rainfall as it takes at least two days for the rainwater to drain out", Satendra said.
Satendra said that his area is nearly 3 km from the Millennium City Centre and is among the key places in the city, but suffers the brunt of heavy rainfall each year.
Why does Gurugram take so long to drain?
Nestled at the foothills of the Aravallis, Gurugram naturally slopes toward the Sahibi River and ultimately the Najafgarh drain.
While the soil has great water-absorbing capability, the area historically had ponds, lakes, and other vital water bodies that always eliminate the chances of waterlogging.
However, with rapid urbanisation and development, the catchment areas of these water bodies became extinct. fields and water bodies gave way to concrete—roads, buildings, sectors—obliterating drainage routes and percolation zones.
According to the Survey of India records of 1976, there were 519 water bodies in Gurugram back then. This was reduced to 251 in 2018, as per the district revenue records.
The natural channels are now either paved over or blocked, leaving water trapped within the residential areas after the rainfall. The Sahibi River, which has turned into a nullah, is the only way to drain out the rainwater and hence proves insufficient for the tech city’s needs.
Gurugram rainfall this year
The southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall to northern India, and Gurugram is no exception. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the normal annual rainfall for the city is 430.5 mm.
However, this year, the city has received 607.9 mm of rainfall till September 5. This is 41 per cent more than the normal rainfall. This further proved detrimental for the city.
