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Delhi and its surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) were pummeled by heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening, resulting in widespread waterlogging and significant disruption to transportation. The downpour claimed the lives of five people, two in Delhi and three in Gurugram, highlighting the severity of the weather event.
The rain's intensity led to the diversion of ten flights scheduled to land at Delhi airport. Eight of these flights were redirected to Jaipur, while the remaining two were diverted to Lucknow. IndiGo, one of the affected airlines, reported continued delays in departures and arrivals, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
The impact of the heavy rainfall was felt acutely in education as well. Delhi Education Minister Atishi announced the closure of schools in the national capital on Thursday, citing the unrelenting downpour as the reason. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert, warning that the rain chaos would continue until August 5th, with heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning expected throughout the period.
Tragically, a mother and her three-year-old son were found dead after falling into a waterlogged drain during a shopping trip in Delhi's Ghazipur area. The drain, under construction, was 15 feet deep and six feet wide, posing a deadly hazard during the heavy rainfall. The police recovered their bodies and initiated a legal investigation.
The relentless downpour also led to structural damage across Delhi. A house collapse in north Delhi's Sabzi Mandi area resulted in one person being injured. Five fire engines dispatched to the scene encountered traffic congestion, further highlighting the challenges posed by the heavy rain. In another incident, a woman was injured when a wall collapsed in Vasant Kunj, and the wall of a private school in Daryaganj collapsed, damaging a car parked nearby.
The city's transport network was severely disrupted by the heavy rain. Numerous key stretches of Delhi-NCR were submerged, with visuals showing underpasses flooded. Traffic flow was particularly chaotic in Lutyens' Delhi and areas leading to Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. Old Rajinder Nagar, where students had been protesting the death of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding at a coaching institute basement, was under knee-deep water. In Connaught Place, several showrooms and restaurants faced flooding.
Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory urging commuters to avoid specific roads, and provided updates on road closures and traffic conditions on social media platforms. In the wake of the incessant rainfall, the weather department included Delhi in its list of 'areas of concern' in the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin, advising citizens to stay indoors, secure their homes, and avoid unnecessary travel.
Source: 5 dead as heavy rain batters Delhi-NCR, schools shut, roads waterlogged