Heavy rain on Wednesday morning caused waterlogging in many areas and massive traffic gridlocks in the national Capital. Delhi witnessed 63 mm rainfall in a span of merely three hours from 8.30 am to 11.30 am, out of which 53 mm rainfall was recorded within two hours as per the India Metrological Department (IMD). “It is an unusual high figure in just two hours and the intensity of rainfall”, officials said.
Major waterlogged areas included Ring Road Dhaula Kuan, Bhairon Marg, Mathura Road, and Teen Murti roundabout, Delhi Traffic Police said.
Interestingly, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was stuck in traffic jam on Monday on his way to his hotel from the airport, found himself in a similar situation again on Wednesday and his address to IIT Delhi students was delayed by over half an hour. Taking a humorous note, he began his address by asking the students how they reached the campus.
“I don’t know if you came in boats... But I salute you,” he said. His proposed visit to three religious sites in the city was also cancelled due to rain. Kerry was scheduled to visit the Gauri Shankar temple, Jama Masjid and Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib in the old Delhi area.
Rain started with light drizzles in the morning and took the face of torrential downpour after 8.30 am. Thought it brought down the mercury with the minimum temperature settling at 26 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season’s average, it derailed traffic movement across the Capital and NCR.
Traffic helpline officials said that they were flooded with calls of snarls and waterlogging across the city. “Reports of heavy traffic congestion and vehicles being stuck on roads were received from different parts of the city throughout the morning,” an official of the traffic helpline said.
Bhanu Srivastava, an engineer, said most of the roads leading to Noida from Delhi were flooded. “I left from my house in lakshmi Nagar around 9 am for Noida. It took me over one-and-a-half hour to reach my office in Noida Sector 11 where I barely reach in 30 minutes on normal days,” Srivastava said.
Many commuters shared their frustration of getting stuck in traffic gridlocks on Twitter. “As lovely as the pouring rain looks from the office or house window, one can only imagine the plight of people on the road,” Nandia Kodesia tweeted.
“Morning bliss with Delhi rain but will have to deal with traffic jam later,” Arpit Gupta tweeted. “Rain in the morning really gives relief but again filled with anger and frustration as stuck for hours on waterlogged roads and heavy traffic jam. It is irritating,” Manshi Shukla tweeted.
Terrible traffic snarls were seen on roads heading to Gurgaon. Places hit by massive traffic congestion due to waterlogging included Moti Bagh, Wazirabad, Pragati Maidan, Azad Market, the stretch between IIT-Delhi and Munirka, Chirag Dilli, Punjabi Bagh, Karol Bagh, Dwarka, Shastri Park, Seelampur, Ghazipur, Najafgarh, the Nangloi-Mundka road, the Dhaula Kuan flyover, Greater Kailash II market, Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, Barapullah flyover towards DND, Ashram Chowk, Ring Road Maharani Bagh, lajpat Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan.
An official of the Delhi airport said that flights were also slightly delayed on account of heavy rain. A Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur due to “bad weather” in the morning around 9 am, the official said.
RK Vishan, senior IMD official (Delhi wing) said that city will witness more downpours in next three days. “The sky will remain cloudy on Thursday but there are chances of heavy rainfall on Friday. Delhi Sky will be cleared by September 3. So far, since the beginning of the southwest monsoon, Delhi has received normal rainfall. Though the city received scanty rainfall till 24 August,” the official said.