Delhi drowns as rains lash north India
Heavy and continuous rains pounded vast swathes of north India, including the Delhi-NCR, on Monday, bringing the Capital and adjoining regions to a standstill due to waterlogging and traffic snarls. More than 400 flights were also affected, 26 cancelled and 15 diverted, including three international flights at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi on Monday. An official said 12 flights were diverted to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow. Parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh received rains during the day as well.
Traffic snarls were the worst in Gurugram, where parents carrying children on their shoulders were seen wading through flooded roads to get to school buses and vehicles were seen stuck on waterlogged roads. The downpour caused waterlogging in across major intersections in the city and several areas of old Gurugram.
Vehicles were stuck in water around Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were also caught in waterlogging on Sohna Road.
The Gurugram administration on Monday advised corporate offices to allow employees to work from home on Tuesday and ordered government and private schools and educational institutions to conduct classes online in view of heavy rainfall and the possibility of waterlogging and traffic congestion.
The district administration said Gurugram received 70 mm of rainfall by 1.30 pm.
In Delhi too, several key stretches, including parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, Mathura Road, Connaught Place, Bhairon Marg, ITO and the Zakhira underpass, were waterlogged, triggering traffic snarls. Waist-deep water, bumper-to-bumper traffic and life brought to a standstill marked the day’s heavy downpour, as gusty winds and showers lashed the national Capital, with a few areas recording almost 67 mm of rain.
Many parts of UP witnessed light to moderate showers and isolated heavy downpours, disrupting normal life in urban pockets, the meteorological department said. Monsoon remained normal across UP over the past 24 hours, it said.
In Ghaziabad, heavy spells led to severe waterlogging across major roads and low-lying residential sectors, causing massive traffic congestion. In a mishap captured on cameras, an auto-rickshaw overturned after hitting a pothole on a waterlogged stretch and passersby rushed to rescue the passengers, who escaped with minor injuries.
According to the local MeT office, thunderstorm activity was recorded at a few places over East UP and at isolated locations in West Uttar Pradesh during the last 24 hours (ending at 8:30 am). Heavy rains lashed Jaipur and other parts of eastern Rajasthan, disrupting traffic and causing waterlogging in many places.
Kherthal-Tijara in Alwar district that comes under the National Capital Region (NCR) received heavy rainfall and many areas got flooded with water. Markets, roads, residential colonies and low-lying areas in Kishangarhbas town was also inundated due to rain.
Jaipur, Alwar, Dholpur, Karauli, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Kherthal-Tijara districts received rain. Cars and two-wheelers were seen wading through the Moti Dungri Road in Jaipur, which was completely submerged under water.
Light to moderate rain prevailed in parts of Himachal Pradesh, blocking 98 roads for vehicular traffic in the state on Monday evening. As many as 98 roads were closed for vehicular traffic, while 21 power transformers and 21 drinking water supply schemes were also disrupted, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
Mandi reported the highest number of road blockages at 49, followed by Kullu (28), Kangra (8), Shimla, Sirmaur, and Una (4 each), and Lahaul Spiti (1). Light to moderate rains lashed parts of the state in the past 24 hours since Sunday evening.
Heavy rainfall, triggered by a low-pressure system, lashed most parts of Odisha, with eight places receiving more than 100-mm downpour during the past 24 hours, the IMD said. Four places in the state recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall, while 47 places received heavy rainfall during the period till 8.30 am on Monday, it said.
