Rains Help Reduce Air Pollution, But Gurgaon (Delhi) is Facing a Different Urban Problem in Rains

The incessant rains over the last couple of days drowned the Millennium City of Gurgaon causing long traffic snarls, some even extending more than 10 kilometres. Several areas in the city were flooded, pointing to the critical lack of infrastructure and a planned drainage system.The situation worsened on Thursday night when commuters, travelling in motorcycles and four-wheelers were stuck in traffic jams for hours.

Check meteorological forecasts @ Delhi Air Quality . Info

This led to a chaotic situation exposing the lack of preparations to deal with such conditions in a city where thousands of commuters enter from different parts of Delhi for different purposes. A large number of multinational companies are housed in the city which employ thousands of people residing in different parts of Delhi. The authorities also seemed under-prepared in dealing with the situation initially as the pumping of water was stopped after a couple of hours on Thursday due to danger of the Badshahpur drain overflowing.

The district magistrate also ordered that schools should remain closed on Friday and Saturday. However, confusion prevailed as parents sent their wards to school on Friday morning and the school authorities sent them back home.

The situation seemed to be grim on Friday morning too as the Gurgaon police issued an advisory asking people traveling from Delhi to stay back and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams. Many vent their frustration and anger on social media sharing pictures and videos on social media. However, the police tried their best to keep the civilians updated with current situation at different areas through Twitter and other platforms.

The situation improved on Friday evening and the prohibitory orders were also lifted. Potholes appeared on roads on Saturday morning as water receded. The restoration work has begun as the flow of traffic will again go up as Monday approaches. Although the weekend is predicted to get less rain than usual, strong showers are expected by Tuesday.

Read the full article @ Indian Express