Record rains lash Delhi; cause traffic jams, waterlogging

Record rains lashed the national capital on Saturday morning, causing heavy waterlogging and traffic jams at many places in the city including Minto Bridge, Rajghat, Connaught Place and ITO.

The India Meteorological Department said Delhi recorded 139 mm of rainfall, the highest one-day rain for August in at least 13 years.

It has issued an 'orange' alert, a warning for extremely bad weather with the potential of disruption in commute with road and drain closures and interruption of power supply, for the city.

Public Works Department officials said the field staff was on the ground to address waterlogging complaints on priority.

Due to the waterlogging, the Delhi Traffic Police closed several crucial underpasses and traffic moved at a snail's pace at many stretches. The traffic police took to Twitter to inform commuters about road closures.

"Traffic movement on Minto Bridge (both carriageways) has been closed due to waterlogging. Please avoid (the) stretch," the traffic police said in a tweet.

Hours later, it informed people that normal traffic movement had been restored at the Minto Bridge underpass.

Last month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that a "world-class drainage system" would be developed across the national capital.

He had said drainage systems like the one at Minto Road would be replicated across Delhi and drains and sewers would be desilted regularly.

On Saturday, the traffic police said that underpasses at Azad Market in central Delhi and Azadpur in north Delhi had been closed for traffic, while vehicular movement was affected at Moolchand and Pul Prahladpur underpasses in south Delhi due to waterlogging.

Other places that witnessed waterlogging are Tilak Bridge underpass, Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, AIIMS flyover, Connaught Place, ITO, Pusa Road, yards of New Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi Railway Station, roads around Pragati Maidan, Rohtak Road, Nand Nagri and Loni Chowk.

Traffic movement was also disrupted on the Mehrauli-Badarpur road in south Delhi.

"Waterlogging at Pul Prahladpur Underpass. Traffic interrupted at MB road diverted on mathura road. Kindly avoid (the) stretch," the traffic police tweeted.

Commuters had a harrowing experience travelling from one place to another. People were also seen wading through waterlogged streets in different areas of the national capital.

Stretches that witnessed jams include ITO, Dhaula Kuan, Mehram Nagar underpass near the airport, Vikas Marg, Mathura Road, Ring Road, Rohtak Road near Peeragarhi, Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road and Bhairon Marg.

"I had to go to the New Delhi Railway Station to drop my relatives there. I could barely reach on time as the Minto Road underpass was closed due to waterlogging and other tributary roads were clogged," said Priya Mishra, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.

Another commuter, Kartik Kumar, who works in Connaught Place, said he reached his office late due to traffic jams.

"I was stuck in a traffic jam at two-three places, including ITO, due to heavy waterlogging. Delhi gets flooded even when it receives moderate rain. This causes inconvenience to the public," said Kumar, who lives in Noida.

Several residential areas and markets in Krishna Nagar, Mayur Vihar-2, Babarpur, Mangolpuri, Kirari, Malviya Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Sadar Bazar were also inundated.

The weatherman has forecast generally cloudy skies with moderate rain during the day.

The IMD has also issued a 'yellow' alert, indicating severely bad weather, for Sunday for Delhi.

A PWD official said the department's field staff was working to resolve waterlogging complaints.

"The intensity of rain this morning was high, so a few areas of the city witnessed waterlogging. Our field staff is on the ground and we are closely monitoring the situation. The Minto Road underpass has been cleared," he said.

Work to pump out water from Pul Prahladpur and Azadpur underpasses is underway, he said.