Incessant showers across Delhi-NCR on Monday have disrupted daily life across the region, with several parts receiving up to 70 mm of rain. This has resulted in flooded roads, crawling traffic and commuters wading through waist-deep water in several regions.
The rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, provided relief from the humidity but left several roads, markets and residential areas waterlogged. Air traffic was also affected, with at least 15 flights diverted, several others delayed and some cancelled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
Janakpuri and Ayanagar recorded the highest rainfall during the intense spell, receiving 70 mm and 69 mm, respectively, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Gurugram was also inundated after around an hour of heavy rain, with waterlogging reported from several parts of the city. Traffic movement slowed on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway and other key roads.
Waterlogging was reported in Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk and several parts of old Gurugram. Vehicles were stranded around the flooded Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were stuck on Sohna Road.
The Gurugram administration advised corporate offices to allow employees to work from home on Tuesday. It also directed government and private schools and other educational institutions to conduct classes online in view of the forecast of heavy rain and the possibility of waterlogging and traffic congestion, officials said.
According to the Met department, Gurugram received 38 mm of rain, while Faridabad recorded 58 mm.
Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Monday, Ayanagar recorded 69.1 mm of rain, followed by Palam at 58.2 mm, Ridge at 43.2 mm, Lodi Road at 41.7 mm and Safdarjung at 34.6 mm.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace through several submerged stretches, including key roads in Lutyens’ Delhi, Mathura Road, Connaught Place, Bhairon Marg, ITO and the Zakhira underpass.
The showers also pushed Delhi’s cumulative rainfall figures higher at major observatory stations. Till August 24, Safdarjung had recorded 246.2 mm of rain against the normal 191.1 mm, an excess of 55.1 mm or 29%.
The IMD attributed the intense rainfall to the interaction of a middle- and upper-level western disturbance along 67 degrees east and 28 degrees north with a lower-tropospheric trough extending from the low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal towards southwest Uttar Pradesh.
Another spell of light to moderate rain at most places, with heavy rainfall of 20-30 mm at isolated locations, is likely over Delhi during the night, the IMD said.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 111, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The CPCB classifies an AQI of 0-50 as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’ and 401-500 as ‘severe’.
(With PTI inputs)
