The traffic was thrown out of gear once again in the national Capital on Monday morning as heavy rain lashed the city causing waterlogging in several areas and prompting the Delhi Government to seek a report from police on the prevailing situation.
The problem got even worse during rush hour.
A senior Government official said the Deputy Chief Minister called a high-level meeting which was attended by senior officers, including the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic). “The Delhi Police has been asked to furnish a report by Tuesday pointing out the worst hit areas and causes of continuing water-logging,” the official said.
Also, in the wake of the crisis, agencies concerned have been asked not to take up any road-cutting work till September 15.
South Delhi was the worst hit with severe traffic congestion due to water-logging at the stretch between IIT-Delhi and Munirka, Moti Bagh, Chirag Delhi, Saket, Modi Mill, Moolahchand, South Extension, Yusuf Sarai, AIIMS, lodhi Road, Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash, Nehru Place, CR Park and Jasola.
Waterlogging at Nehru Place, Janpath and Prithviraj T-point was also reported. “It took me one-and-a-half hour to travel from Nehru Place to Okhla. The water was almost two feet deep,” said Prakash Goyal, a resident of Ashok Vihar.
Traffic snarls at Nehru Place lead to jam in the adjoining areas of CR Park and GK. Vehicles moved at a snail’s pace and it took hours for motorists to reach their destinations.
Waterlogging mostly in the mouths of flyovers, underpasses and low-lying areas, giving commuters, especially office goers, a harrowing team in the peak morning hours.
“The traffic was highly congested from South Extension Part I to AIIMS loop due to severe water-logging. I was late by 45 minutes in reaching my office. Due to severe waterlogging under the AIIMS flyover the traffic had come to a halt,” said Vidit Aggarwal, a resident of Dilshad Garden.
“The water clogs up to the knee level which makes it impossible to drive two wheelers. People in my office park their motorcycles at the metro station and have to walk to the office,” she said. “There is no proper sewage system or passage for the rain water to flush out. Also, the potholes on road make situation even worse,” she said.
Civic agencies had traded charges and indulged in a blame game over desilting of drains when a similar situation was witnessed in the city on Saturday morning. However, on Monday, the AAP Government and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations announced helpline numbers for general public to report about waterlogging.
A senior municipal official said, “Keeping in view monsoon rains, waterlogging related problems in various localities are being noticed and round-the-clock helpline services are being provided.”
“The complaints regarding waterlogging, choking of drains and accumulation of garbage on the roads after rain can be registered through the helpline numbers. The complaints will be forwarded to the departments concerned for redressal at the earliest,” he added.
The Delhi Government has also opened a 24x7 helpline number (1077), a senior Government official said.
According to DTP, traffic in many other areas like Peeragarhi, Najafgarh, and Shakti Nagar was also affected due to waterlogging.
The road on NH-24 sank due to severe rain in which an Indian Navy bus also got stuck. It led to long tailbacks due to obstruction on the road.
long tailbacks were also witnessed in and around Pusa Road, Anand Parbat, Mundka, Janpath, Naraina, Mayapuri, Zakhira Flyover, Wazirabad, Badarpur border, Wazirabad, Okhla, Palam Flyover, Sectors 6 and 7 of Dwarka sub-city, Najafgarh and Peeragarhi.
The Gurgaon-Dhaulakuan route also witnessed gridlock as a tree fell on the road, blocking one carriageway, while heavy rain and a bus breakdown disrupted traffic on the other, a traffic official said.
“The people had created chaos on the road. Everybody was in a hurry to go first which made the situation worse,” said Gaurav Bhardwaj, a resident of Vaishali.