News: Reporter’s Diary: Gurugram Floods, Potholes and Dust-12-04-2026
The picture of Gurugram as a millennium city of glass facades and expressways falls apart at street level, writes Sampurna, a correspondent with HT Gurugram, who has lived in Delhi-NCR for three years.
Brief spells of rain, even before the monsoon has properly arrived, have already waterlogged several areas. Authorities repeatedly claim drains have been cleaned and vulnerable stretches identified, yet the first shower exposes the gaps.
Roads in Sectors 69 to 72, near the Southern Peripheral Road, carry heavy traffic but are riddled with deep potholes that can damage vehicles. Once filled with dirty rainwater, their depth cannot be judged, leaving drivers in constant fear of accidents.
The Badshapur-Kadarpur road is worse. The roughly two-kilometre stretch stays waterlogged, with garbage floating in stagnant water, hidden potholes and a strong stench. Residents have long complained of sewage overflow, broken surfaces and clogged drainage. Yogesh Kumar, who runs an electrical hardware shop, said he has seen multiple accidents there. Sultan, a grocery shop owner, said even a short spell of rain brings water to the entrance, forcing shops to shut and hurting business.
Drains are clogged with plastic waste and debris, incomplete construction narrows roads, and responsibility keeps shifting between agencies without clear accountability.
Dust adds to the strain. Several internal roads are broken or unpaved, and passing vehicles raise thick clouds that linger on dry days, reducing visibility and making breathing difficult. The reporter describes returning home covered in dust, with irritated eyes and throat, as routine.
The pattern, she writes, is pre-monsoon assurances followed by recurring failures. As the city draws investment and new residents, its basic infrastructure continues to lag, and for many the promise of Gurugram feels increasingly distant.
