Gurugram rain strands school buses, WFH and online classes ordered

Heavy rain and waterlogging brought Gurugram to a standstill on Monday, with school buses carrying children stranded for hours and ambulances stuck on waterlogged roads. The district administration reported 70 mm of rainfall by 1.30 pm, with flooding at Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, and parts of old Gurugram. A school bus near Sheetla Mata Temple broke down in deep water, leaving students inside for around 30 minutes before a replacement bus arrived. Hindustan Times reported that some children were stuck for over four hours.

The administration advised offices to allow work from home and ordered all government and private schools to conduct online classes on Tuesday, citing student safety and likely traffic congestion. Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh said the WFH advisory for corporate offices would remain in effect on August 25. ABP Live highlighted that the flooding again raised questions over Gurugram's drainage infrastructure, noting that the Rajiv Chowk underpass was flooded once more despite repeated drainage works by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority and Municipal Corporation.

Traffic police deployed drones to monitor waterlogged areas and major roads. Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya directed officials to keep pumping arrangements active and ensure swift drainage. Commuters faced long queues on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway and several internal roads, with water rising to waist level in some areas.