Delhi: On Wednesday evening, Delhi was hit by heavy rainfall, causing the city to come to a halt. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' weather warning, indicating severe weather conditions. The heavy rain flooded many parts of the city, turning roads into rivers, and causing massive traffic jams. Many people were left stranded, unable to navigate the waterlogged streets.
The IMD included Delhi in its list of "areas of concern" in the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin. They advised people to stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel.
Delhi's Education Minister, Atishi, announced that all schools, both government and private, would be closed on Thursday due to the heavy rainfall.
Air travel was also disrupted by the bad weather. At least 10 flights scheduled to land at Delhi airport were diverted to other cities, such as Jaipur and Lucknow. Airlines warned of more possible flight disruptions due to the ongoing weather conditions.
According to the IMD, the Safdarjung weather station recorded 79.2 mm of rain between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Other areas recorded even more rainfall, such as Mayur Vihar with 119 mm, Delhi University with 77.5 mm, Pusa with 66.5 mm, and the Palam observatory with 43.7 mm.
The heavy rain also caused a house to collapse in north Delhi's Sabji Mandi area. Details were still being confirmed, but the house was located near Ghanta Ghar close to Robin Cinema. Delhi Fire Services were on the scene to assist.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena instructed officers to stay alert and ensure minimum inconvenience to the public. He specifically mentioned the need to address issues at waterlogging-prone sites, including coaching centers.
Traffic in Delhi was especially bad, with roads in Lutyens' Delhi and those leading to Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad being heavily affected. Old Rajinder Nagar, where students were holding protests over the deaths of three UPSC aspirants from flooding in a coaching institute basement, was submerged in knee-deep water. In Connaught Place, water flooded many showrooms and restaurants.
The traffic police issued an advisory asking commuters to avoid certain roads due to waterlogging. They suggested alternative routes and highlighted diversions. Some of the affected roads included Moolchand towards Chirag Delhi, both carriageways on Anuvrat Marg, Outer Ring Road, Syama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, and Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
Several areas, such as Kashmere Gate, Karol Bagh, and Pragati Maidan, were heavily flooded. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi received complaints about waterlogging and fallen trees.
In Old Delhi's Daryaganj area, a school boundary wall collapsed onto parked cars, and the road beneath caved in. In South Delhi's Chhatarpur area, slippers were spotted drifting along the flooded streets as vehicles navigated through. The Pragati Maidan tunnel was also affected by waterlogging. Traffic jams were common around the ITO intersection, Dhaula Kuan area, and the road towards the airport due to the flooding.
Photos of people sitting in knee-deep water at the Press Club of India were shared online. The ruling AAP party in Delhi was criticized by the BJP for negligence and mismanagement. Atishi responded, saying that the city government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi were closely monitoring low-lying areas and locations prone to waterlogging to prevent any incidents.
The maximum temperature recorded in Delhi during the day was 37.8 degrees Celsius. The IMD has predicted that the wet spell will continue until August 5th.