August 12, 2024
NEW DELHI – Heavy downpour in left the Delhi-NCR grappling with waterlogging and traffic congestion disrupting daily life and causing inconvenience to the commuters.
The rainfall that hit Delhi as well as neighbouring regions on Sunday, such as Noida and Gurugram, forced residents to navigate through congested roads and flooded streets to reach their destination.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier forecasted moderate to heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, would occur in various parts of the city.
According to the weather department, several areas reported heavy rainfall. The downpour recorded in some areas stands at 29 mm in Safdarjung, 45mm in Palam, 34 mm on Lodhi Road, 50 mm in Aryanagar, 31 mm in Delhi University, 60 mm in Mayur Vihar and 62 mm in Najafgarh.
As the showers intensified towards the evening, the IMD reported a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, with the minimum temperature recorded at 26 degrees Celsius.
Commuters had a harrowing time while negotiating waterlogged roads, particularly in low-lying areas, with many vehicles struggling to pass through submerged streets.
The Delhi Traffic Police posted several traffic diversions due to waterlogging. On social media platform X, the police informed the commuters that the traffic was affected on outer ring road from Nehru Place to Chirag Delhi and vice versa due to waterlogging.
Another post mentioned waterlogging and traffic disruption on the MB road on Carriageways from Khanpur to Hamdard Nagar and vice versa due to the collection of rainwater on the road.
It further posted about affected traffic on Najafgarh Phirni Road due to water logging at Dhansa Stand and Bahadurgarh Stand.
Rohtak Road also faced traffic disruption near the Tikri border due to the waterlogging, said traffic police.
Further, rainwater accumulated near the Qutub Minar Metro station and the traffic police advised commuters to take an alternative route. However, these restrictions were removed after the clearance of rainwater on roads.
The air traffic was also affected due to the rain. Air India in a post on X posted, “Flights to and From Delhi may get affected due to heavy rains. Guests are advised to start early for the airport as slow traffic and waterlogging may delay moment”.
The satellite city of Delhi, Noida, also faced acute waterlogging followed by heavy rains on Sunday. Several prominent areas such as Sector 62 faced severe waterlogging and the commuters had to wade through knee-deep water to reach their destinations.
Meanwhile, key areas in Gurugram, including the Gurugram-Delhi Expressway, and many other subways were severely impacted due to the heavy downpour, disrupting the normal life of the commuters.
The district administration reported that the millennium city received 53mm of rainfall by 8:30 am, causing water to accumulate in multiple sectors and on major roads. Some areas also recorded over 80 mm of rainfall.
Commuters were seen wading through waterlogged roads as heavy rainfall hit several parts of the city including the IFFCO Chowk area witnessed vehicles making their way through the waterlogged roads while severe waterlogging was also witnessed in Gurugram Sector 5.
Commuters were spotted navigating through waterlogged streets as the rain continued to lash the city.