Torrential rain batters Capital; more showers expected today

‘Monsoon rainfall deficiency of Delhi has reduced and reached almost normal’

Vehicles were damaged after a school wall collapsed due to heavy rain in south Delhi’s Saket on Wednesday.

Incessant rain lashed the national capital on Wednesday submerging low-lying areas in waist-deep water and bringing traffic on key roads to a grinding halt.

The city received 32 mm of rainfall till evening, leading to waterlogging in Kirari, Burari, Rohini, Mayur Vihar Phase-2, Sarai Kale Khan to DND, Sashi Garden to Kotla, Seemapuri to Dilshad Garden underpass, MB Road at Maidan Garhi, MB Road at Anuvrat Marg, and Apsara Border among other areas.

Other parts of Delhi were completely inundated after just a few hours of rain. Pictures and videos of vehicles stuck on waterlogged roads and people wading through waist-deep water were quickly shared on social media.

Trees fell at seven different locations and at eight places parts of buildings collapsed due to rain, the north municipal corporation said.

Power cuts were reported in some parts of the city.

Several vehicles were also damaged after a boundary wall of a school in Saket collapsed due to the rain, civic body officials said.

On the road, vehicles moved bumper to bumper during the morning rush hour, as the downpour led to heavy waterlogging on key road stretches. Delhi Traffic Police remained busy clearing traffic at ITO, Purana Qila, Vinod Nagar, Surajmal Marg, Sarai Kale Khan, Dhaula Kuan, Bhairon Road, near Indraprastha Park, Sultanpur and Munirka metro stations, Civil Line police station, Mathura Road, Rani Jhansi road and other places.

Till August 25

The India Meteorological Department has forecast cloudy skies and rain in the city till August 25. Light to moderate rainfall is expected on Thursday. “After Wednesday’s rainfall, the monsoon deficiency of Delhi has reduced and reached almost normal. Before today, there was deficiency of around 20%. The actual figures will be out on Thursday,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the regional forecasting centre, IMD.

“South Delhi and Gurugram received heavy rain on Wednesday. Ayanagar station [in south Delhi] recorded heavy rainfall, whereas, Safdarjung station [in central Delhi] recorded moderate rainfall,” he added.

From 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Safdarjung station recorded 32 mm of rainfall. The station also recorded 8.2 mm of rainfall from 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday to the same time on Wednesday.

Similar chaotic scenes were witnessed on August 13, when the city witnessed the heaviest spell of rains this monsoon season, with the Ayanagar weather station recording 99.2 of rainfall in just a few hours.

(With PTI inputs)