A day after heavy rain caused monster traffic jam on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway lasting almost 24 hours and prompting intervention from the State and Centre, the Gurgaon Police have identified 14 crucial points — mostly on the Expressway — and deployed forces round-the-clock to avert any gridlock.
“The Gurgaon Police have made detailed plans to avert any jam like situation during the current rainy season due to flooding of roads including the NH-8 and 248A. Fourteen points, mainly on the NH-8 and NH-248A, have been identified and security forces have been deployed there in order to avert jams. At each point, Inspector rank officers have been deployed along with police personnel as per requirement of each spot. They will work in two shifts. The day shift from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and night shift from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. These duties will continue till further orders,” said Gurgaon Commissioner of Police Navdeep Virk.
The fourteen points identified are: Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Jharsa Chowk, Signature Tower Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Shankar Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Golf Course Extension Road intersection on Sohna Road, Main Chowk in Sohna, Maharana Pratap Chowk, Atul Kataria Chowk, IMT Manesar Chowk, HUDA City Center Station area and Sector- 31 traffic signal area.
Four DCP-level officers have been appointed as nodal officers for the operation. The Police Control Room staff has been directed to take hourly updates on the traffic.
With heavy rain forecast for the next 15 days, Deputy Commissioner T. L. Satyaprakash has directed all civil agencies to requisite all infrastructure equipment so as to reposition roads, traffic congestions and other necessary actions. He added that flash flood management works will be undertaken during the next three days.
Mr. Satyaprakash said concerned engineers have been told to remove encroachments obstructing water flow on an urgent basis.
The Home Guard will also be deployed till the end of September to manage traffic congestion across the city.
Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary Kesani Anand Arora held a meeting with officials of all departments, including the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), and directed them to work in close co-ordination to ensure that waterlogging and traffic jam were not caused again.
Ms. Arora also directed the NHAI officials to increase the number of pumps to drain out water on the Expressway. She also inspected the Hero Honda Chowk and other waterlogged areas. Meanwhile, no major traffic jam was reported on Saturday though traffic remained slow on Sohna Road around noon on account of waterlogging.
