Heavy rain, not poor drainage, caused Gurgaon waterlogging: Union Minister Khattar
Manohar Lal Khattar
on Saturday attributed the recent flooding in the city to extreme rain rather than inadequate drainage system.
"Gurgaon received 119 mm of rain in just a few hours, overwhelming the city.
That's nearly five inches of water everywhere—on roads, rooftops, and parks. This isn't about waterlogging but about sudden, intense rain," said Khattar at the Matri Van event near Sushant University in Sector 54.
He further insisted that such heavy precipitation naturally led to water accumulation, requiring at least two hours to drain. While acknowledging the need for long-term solutions, he also cited improvements in traffic management since 2016.
"Underpasses are below road level, so naturally they are the first to get submerged unless water is constantly being pumped out," the minister added.
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Heavy rainfall on Wednesday that continued till Thursday morning brought the city to a near standstill, causing widespread disruption and massive traffic congestion across the city. In several areas, commuters were forced to abandon vehicles and wade through knee-deep water to reach safer ground.
Among several clips of the downpour that were shared on social media, one video that caught attention was of completely flooded streets and children seen swimming freely. According to IMD data, the city received 228.9mm of rainfall—31% above normal—last month. On July 31, 51.1mm of rain was dumped over the city till 5pm. Monsoon's first spate of heavy showers this season dumped more than 100mm of rainwater in less than two hours on the evening of July 10 overwhelming the city's infrastructure just as rapidly.
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