My father was in the ambulance, as he had just suffered a severe asthma attack. We were rushing to a hospital in South Delhi, hoping every second that we would make it in time. But as we got onto the main road, we realised we were trapped. The heavy rains in the morning had caused massive water-logging, and the traffic was completely stuck. The ambulance couldn’t move an inch.

“Though, we eventually reached the hospital, the delay could have been fatal,” said Ramesh Verma, echoing the helplessness of a family member stuck in a dire situation due to water-logging induced traffic snarls in the national capital. 

His case is just one among many in the similar situation, highlighting systemic issues with emergency response and infrastructure, particularly during the monsoon season when water-logging is the common feature at various stretches.

Despite the ongoing problems plaguing the city for years as climate change induced erratic weather plays truant, authorities continue to shift responsibility, leaving the situation unresolved year after year. 

There have been cases of people dying in rain-related incidents as the capital has been witnessing  heavy rainfall every other day, bringing it to a standstill with streets flooded, traffic in chaos and some commuters stranded on roads. Even upscale areas of Lutyens’ Delhi, arterial lanes  and key tunnels like the one at Pragati Maidan were closed due to flooding.

Clearly, this reflects a broader issue where emergency services are frequently hindered by inadequate infrastructure. 

Incidentally, while writing this, Sawati Das Gupta, a commuter, called up in distress. “I am stuck up at a severe traffic snarl at Bharat Mandapam near Supreme Court due to water-logging, which is also blocking two ambulances.

“The vehicles with sirens blaring are honking consistently, but there’s no space to move. I just can’t imagine the distress of patients and their families inside the vehicle, trapped in gridlocked traffic. It’s heart-wrenching. The pressure and fear of not knowing if they’ll make it in time only add to their agony. The situation is further compounded by the fact that outside the vehicle, people seem unaware of the urgency,” she said. Dasgupta asserted that such a situation is unacceptable and no one should have to endure this kind of helplessness.

“We need better emergency management and infrastructure to prevent such incidents,” she strongly emphasised.

Drivers from Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS), the State Government’s medical emergency services  too expressed their frustration, noting that their best strategy is to avoid known water-logged areas and stay updated via contacts and newspapers.  Much also depends on the driving skill of the occupant behind the steering wheel, they agreed.

Jeetu (name changed), a CATS driver, emphasised the importance of the ‘Golden Hour’--the critical first hour following an accident for improving survival chances.

The ‘Golden Hour’ principle, supported by WHO, stresses the importance of timely medical intervention to increase survival rates. Currently, traffic congestion often delays ambulances, with journeys that should take 15-20 minutes extending over an hour.

The CATS vehicles are categorised into patient transport ambulances, basic life-support ambulances, and advanced life-support ambulances.

He also shared that CATS is in the process of updating its fleet, with plans to add over 400 new vehicles equipped with advanced facilities. The Government has also taken the services of a private firm which is playing the vehicles as ‘Rakshak.’

Suraj (name changed), another driver with the CAT, lamented that while the population has increased, infrastructure improvements have lagged, putting critical patients at greater risk.

Requesting anonymity, a senior official from the CATS department maintained that the old fleets are on the way out. A tender has been passed in this regard and we are looking forward to adding the new vehicles equipped with improved and sophisticated facilities including at least three Oxygen cylinders.  Soon there would be more than 400 vehicles.

The official admitted that roads are constructed without properly assessing actual needs, and issues like inadequate sewage management and insufficient desilting contribute to the chaos. Ultimately, it is the people and patients who suffer as a result.

Jeetu chipped in saying that most critical are especially those injured in road accidents, while on the way to hospitals. “I have been lucky that no patient has died in my ambulance due to heavy traffic on the road resulting in the ambulances getting stuck in traffic jams.”

Apart from patients of road mishaps, heart patients also needed to be rushed to hospitals in time.

However, on the brighter side, he said that people have been sensitised enough to give way to Ambulances.

According to the CAT drivers, if an ambulance gets a free lane it can cover the distance of 25 km within 15 to 20 minutes but due to traffic it generally takes more than a hour. If the water-logging issue is sorted, delay time in a patient reaching a hospital can be cut.

Delhi has several areas prone to waterlogging, including perennial hotspots like Minto Bridge, Pul Prahladpur Underpass, Jahangirpuri Metro Station Road, under Zakhira Flyover, Loni Road Roundabout, Karala Kanjhawala, and parts of the Ring Road, such as the area opposite WHO.

Other locations that frequently experience waterlogging include ITO, RK Puram, Janpath, Parliament Street, Karol Bagh, Nauroji Nagar, Pant Marg, and various spots in South Delhi, such as Mayur Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Greater Kailash, New Friends Colony, Saket, and Malviya Nagar.

Dr Jagdish Kaur from WILGA, an NGO working for the empowerment of women expressed displeasure at the situation, saying, “I can’t recall a day when I haven’t seen an ambulance struggling through our chaotic traffic, which is often anything but efficient.

“We often forget that the person in the ambulance could be someone we know or even ourselves. Imagine being in that emergency vehicle while someone in a car ignores the siren’s urgent wail. That siren is actually a critical signal--a “song of life or death.”

Each of us plays a role in ensuring that this siren leads to life, not death. Just as the ambulance driver, doctors, and nurses are responsible for responding to emergencies, we must also take responsibility for our actions on the road.

Also, the authorities instead of playing blame-games must do their part. They should  responsibly ensure that the roads are free of water-logging and traffic jams,” Dr Kaur summed up.