Those freeze frames of our childhood stay alive in our minds. Like the one of a half drowned bus at Minto Road under-bridge near Connaught Place. Or that of a man with a bike, wet from head to toe, trousers folded up to the knees, dragging the bike after it had broken down following a shower. Or even that image of motorists trying to navigate their way through at Bhairon Marg, cars in danger of submergence, water gushing out from the sides, much of it rebuffed by choked drains. Freeze frames. They are a part of our life; how we were; how we are. In this case, not much has changed. As Javed Akhtar wrote for Vidhu Vinod Chopra, some 20 years ago in 1942: A Love Story , “Samay ka yeh pal thham sa gaya hai”. Indeed, time seems to have stood still. Governments have come and gone, some for five years, others for 15; still other for 49 days but not much has changed in the nation’s Capital.
Cometh the rain, come traffic jams. Stagnant water, choked drain, failed traffic signals, vehicles broken down, commuters trying to wade through knee-deep water, soaked roads under the Metro line…aren’t these the images which are splashed across newspapers a day following a heavy downpour? Cars end up a mechanic’s delight in a garage, motorists reach home, dripping wet, tired, angry and frustrated, making them their family’s nightmare.
Next day. Everything is back to where it was: the sun is out, the men too, well rested, dried and in good humour. The cars are back as well. The drains too stay choked, the silt as it was, the garbage just a little more conspicuous by the roadside. The media tracks the developments for a day or two. Then it is back to Modi-Dhoni-Salman, the triumvirate of politicians-cricketers-film stars hog the limelight again. The common man is edged out again. Until the next downpour and our sleepy civic authorities bring him back to the spotlight. Ah, time for freeze frames all over again.
Water logging during the Monsoon rain at Model Town, in New Delhi. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
Vehicles wades through waterlogged NH-8 road after pre-monsoon heavy rain in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.
Vehicles wading through the waterlogged Ferozeshah road, due to heavy rain in New Delhi. Photo: R.V. Moorthy
Water logging at Laxmi Nagar underpass due to heavy rain in New Delhi. Photo: R. V. Moorthy
Auto driver seen pushing his vehicle from a waterlogged street due to heavy rain. Photo: R. V. Moorthy
NDMC workers engaged in clearing the road by cutting the tree, which fell due to heavy rain. Photo: R. V. Moorthy
A scene during the heavy water logging due to rain near ISBT in New Delhi. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma
Heavy rain lashes New Delhi. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma