Heavy downpour on Tuesday morning disrupted traffic in several parts of Delhi and Noida with roads and streets remaining flooded or waterlogged for hours.
Commuters, especially officer-goers and students, had a tough time reaching their destination amid incessant rain. It being a peak hour, many remained stranded on the roads for hours while others reported to duty late.
Key points in the national capital, such as Ashram Bridge, Minto Road, Patel Chowk, and the New Delhi railway station, were particularly affected by waterlogging which led to considerable traffic jams. Such was the situation during the peak hours that navigating the areas was a challenge for the commuters.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted light to moderate rain across Delhi and the southwestern National Capital Region (NCR) throughout Tuesday. Additionally, a more intense spell of rain was expected over Central and East Delhi during the Wednesday morning.
Rainfall recorded in the last 24 hours till 8:30 am showed areas such as Ridge receiving 72.4 mm of rain, Safdarjung 28.7 mm, Lodi Road 25.6 mm, Ayanagar 2.2 mm, and Palam 2.0 mm of rainfall.
The Weather Department attributed the heavy rain to southwesterly winds carrying moisture from the Arabian Sea into the monsoon trough passing through the national capital. These moist winds interacted with a cold, dry air mass associated with a local feeble Western Disturbance (WD) trough, intensifying the rainfall, added IMD.
Besides waterlogging, traffic in several areas of Delhi was severely affected due to road cave-ins, prompting the Delhi Traffic Police to issue multiple diversion advisories and post on social media platform X. While the road opposite Old Delhi Railway Station cave-in necessitating traffic diversion from Kodiya Pul Red Light, heavy waterlogging on Outer Ring Road, particularly between Bhera Enclave and Peeragarhi, rendered the Bhera Enclave underpass non-motorable.
Similar disruptions were seen on New Rohtak Road near Anand Parvat and under the Mangi Bridge, with traffic diversions in place. Waterlogging at Chatta Rail Chowk, Nigam Bodh Ghat, and the Railway Under Bridge on Ram Bagh Road, Azad Market, also necessitated traffic diversions. Commuters were advised to follow the traffic updates and plan their journeys accordingly.
Traffic restrictions on many routes were later lifted after clearance of rainwater from the roads and pumping out water from underpasses, it later stated.
A school bus was trapped in the waterlogged Minto Bridge underpass in northwest Delhi on Tuesday after heavy morning rainfall. Three children were safely evacuated from the stranded vehicle. Efforts to pump out the water were underway, according to another official.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported in any of such incidents, as rescue teams responded promptly and reached the scene quickly.
Meanwhile, residents of the national capital shared shocking clips of the city’s severe waterlogging after the incessant rain. A post on social media platform X read, “Never saw so much waterlogging in Delhi during this season in years!” with the hashtag DelhiRains.
Another social media user posted a video of flooded ITO while another took a dig at the waterlogging under Minto Bridge with the caption: “The heritage structure, Minto Bridge, Delhi, built in 1933, has been plagued with waterlogging issues since the start. 1953, plight presented in parliament for the first time; 1958, first pump sets fixed to counter waterlogging. 2024, the show must go on.”