Monsoon mayhem: Floods, gridlock, deaths expose nation's urban planning failures

The monsoon has once again exposed glaring infrastructure failures and poor urban planning across India's major cities, triggering widespread waterlogging, traffic snarls and loss of life. In Mumbai, the Andheri subway was shut, parts of the Western Express Highway were inundated, and a commuter was injured after being struck by a falling tree branch, while neighbouring Vasai, Virar and Navi Mumbai battled severe flooding and power outages. In the Delhi-NCR region, a spell of rain caused a three-kilometre traffic jam on National Highway 48 in Gurugram and led to road cave-ins. As roads vanish under floodwaters and normal life grinds to a halt, the recurring monsoon chaos has once again raised serious questions over the preparedness, accountability and planning of civic authorities across the country.