Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Heavy Rain Revives Gurugram Waterlogging, Stranding School Buses
Heavy rain flooded many roads in Gurugram on Tuesday.
The city was still clearing water from rain the day before.
About 70 millimetres of rain fell in just 35 minutes.
Several vehicles became stuck, including nine school buses carrying more than 300 children.
The children reportedly remained trapped for almost two hours.
A road near IFFCO Chowk also collapsed and formed a large pit.
Officials said a leaking sewer pipe washed away soil under the road.
Schools held online classes, and some workers stayed home.
Citizens and opposition leaders criticized the government for not preventing the flooding.
Persistent rain on August 25 caused severe waterlogging across Gurugram, after heavy showers the previous day.
About 70 mm of rain fell in 35 minutes, submerging major roads and underpasses.
Around 15 vehicles, including nine school buses carrying more than 300 children, were stranded at Subhash Chowk for nearly two hours.
A service lane near IFFCO Chowk caved in after a suspected GMDA sewer-line leak washed away soil beneath it.
Schools shifted to online classes, companies advised working from home, and political leaders criticized the city’s infrastructure and administration.
- Who
- Gurugram residents, schoolchildren, motorists, municipal officials, and political critics were affected or involved.
- What
- Heavy rainfall caused widespread waterlogging, stranded vehicles and school buses, and a road cave-in near IFFCO Chowk.
- When
- Tuesday, August 25, after heavy rain on Monday.
- Where
- Several parts of Gurugram, including Subhash Chowk, underpasses, and a service lane near IFFCO Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.
- Why
- Persistent rainfall overwhelmed affected roads and drainage; officials said a GMDA sewer-line leak washed away soil beneath the collapsed service lane.
Officials’ explanation and response
Critics’ assessment
Cause of the road collapse
Officials’ explanation and response
A senior official said a preliminary investigation found that a leaking GMDA sewer line washed away soil beneath the service lane. Officials barricaded the area and began repairing the leak.
Critics’ assessment
Critics pointed to the cave-in, flooding and traffic disruption as evidence of inadequate roads and drainage systems.
Government performance
Officials’ explanation and response
Authorities issued an advisory, shifted schools online, deployed officials, installed barricades and planned repairs involving GMDA and the National Highways Authority of India.
Critics’ assessment
Residents, actor-writer Suhel Seth and Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala criticized the Haryana government, saying basic amenities and infrastructure had failed despite substantial spending.
Gurugram’s monsoon conditions
Officials’ explanation and response
Officials were responding to unusually persistent and intense rainfall, including roughly 70 mm in 35 minutes.
Critics’ assessment
Residents argued that repeated waterlogging remained unacceptable in a major city despite 408 rainwater-harvesting systems in municipal corporation areas.
- Rainfall
- Approximately 70 mm fell over a 35-minute period.
- Vehicles stranded
- About 15 vehicles were stranded at waterlogged Subhash Chowk.
- School buses
- Nine school buses were among the stranded vehicles.
- Children affected
- More than 300 schoolchildren were reportedly trapped for nearly two hours.
- Road cave-in
- A service lane near IFFCO Chowk developed a large pit after part of the road collapsed.
- Official response
- GMDA worked to repair the sewer leak, while the National Highways Authority of India was expected to undertake road repairs afterward.
- Disruption measures
- Schools held online classes and several companies advised employees to work from home.