Heavy rains cause waterlogging in Delhi, crucial underpasses closed for traffic

Vehicles wade through the waterlogged Delhi-Gurugram Expressway while children play in the water in NCR on Saturday. Pics/PTI

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 (IMD) 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 (PWD) 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.

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

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