'It's not Gurgaon, it's Venice': Viral videos capture city under water after heavy rain

It took just a couple of hours of rain for parts of Gurgaon to come to a complete halt.What began as a heavy monsoon spell on Tuesday afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare for thousands of commuters.

Roads disappeared under murky water, vehicles broke down mid-journey, and traffic crawled for kilometres as the city struggled to cope with the downpour.Soon, social media was flooded too.Residents began posting videos showing streets that looked more like rivers than roads, with many joking that Gurgaon had turned into "Venice."

Two Hours of Rain, Hours of Chaos

The rain started around 2 pm and continued for nearly two hours. But the impact lasted much longer.

Several parts of the city were left waterlogged, making it difficult for people to drive or even walk. In many areas, vehicles were left stranded after water levels rose rapidly.One of the biggest disruptions was reported on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-48), where part of the main carriageway near Narsinghpur caved in following the rain.

With two lanes shut, traffic piled up between Hero Honda Chowk and the Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, leaving commuters stuck for hours.

Residents Shared What They Were Seeing

As the rain continued, videos from across Gurgaon started appearing online.In one clip, a woman showed the road outside her home completely submerged. Her two-wheeler was almost half underwater as she explained that all of this had happened after just a couple of hours of rain.Another widely shared video showed people trying to make their way through flooded streets. Some rolled up their trousers and walked barefoot while carrying their shoes in their hands.

Others simply stood on the roadside, waiting for the water to go down before attempting to cross.

The visuals quickly caught the internet's attention.One comment summed up what many people were thinking: "It's not Gurgaon, it's Venice."The comparison soon began appearing under several videos as more clips surfaced from different parts of the city.

Waterlogging Reported Across Several Areas

Flooded roads weren't limited to just one neighbourhood.Areas around Sector 68, including the road near Airia Mall, also witnessed severe waterlogging.

Several underpasses filled up with rainwater, making them difficult to use.Potholes hidden beneath the water created another challenge for motorists, while stalled vehicles added to the already heavy traffic.For many office-goers, what is usually a short drive turned into an hours-long journey home.

Police Ask Offices to Allow Work From Home

With more rain expected and traffic conditions worsening, Gurugram Police urged companies to let employees work from home wherever possible.The advisory said reducing unnecessary travel would ease pressure on the city's roads and help emergency services move more freely.

Police also appealed to residents to avoid non-essential travel until conditions improved.

Rescue Teams Were Sent to Waterlogged Roads

Authorities said traffic police and other emergency teams were deployed across affected areas as soon as water levels began rising.Cranes, recovery vehicles, pumps and water tankers were pressed into service to pull stranded vehicles out of flooded roads and clear water from key locations.

Officials added that private resources were also used wherever required to speed up the response.Even with those efforts, many commuters remained stuck for long periods as traffic moved at a snail's pace.

The Videos Sparked a Familiar Debate

As clips of flooded streets continued to circulate, many people questioned why the city struggles with severe waterlogging almost every monsoon despite years of infrastructure projects.Others expressed frustration that just a few hours of rain were enough to disrupt traffic, flood residential areas and bring one of India's biggest corporate hubs to a standstill.For now, though, it was the visuals that did most of the talking.Roads that had vanished beneath muddy water.Cars stranded in the middle of flooded streets.People wading through knee-deep water with their shoes in hand.And one comment that seemed to capture the mood online better than anything else:"It's not Gurgaon anymore. It's Venice."Thumb image: Manik M Jolly on X