Cooling rain lashes city, brings traffic to a halt

Delhiites got some respite from the unbearable humidity on Monday as sudden rains lashed the National Capital Region (NCR). Traffic, however, came to a halt due to waterlogging.

The heavy downpour started in the afternoon, bringing down the visibility on roads. Vehicles could be seen crawling with their headlights on. The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 29.6 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, while the Lodhi Road recorded 42.6 mm, Palam 15.3 mm, Ridge 30 mm, and Aayangar 10.2 mm of rain, a meteorological department official said. 

Traffic snarls were witnessed at major junctions, with DND-Noida being the worst hit. Waterlogging made matters worse for residents who were in a festive mode because of Rakshabandhan. Massive jams were witnessed on the Film City road near DND, Kalindi Kunj, and Rajnigandha crossing. Commuters said it took them more than an hour to reach Film City from DND. The route from Noida to Delhi, too, was choked because of waterlogging.

Heavy congestion took place in Bhajanpura and Gokulpuri. Some commuters complained of waterlogging on the Barapulla flyover, even as the traffic crawled on NH-24 going towards Sarai Kale Khan. Festive rush added to the woes, congesting Shastri Park, Seelampur, Maujpur Chowk, and Peeragarhi road to Rohini. 

Peeved with the jams, residents blamed the civic authorities for not doing enough. “This has become a regular feature. Every time it happens, the government tells us that it won’t be repeated. But the reality is completely different,” Rohini (W) resident Mahak Ghosh said.