Commuters face traffic snarls as brief rain spell causes waterlogging

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, July 9

After a brief lull, heavy rain lashed parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, leading to widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls. “Traffic movement was restricted at Azad Market underpass in the carriageway from Azad Market towards Shastri Nagar due to waterlogging,” the Delhi Traffic Police said on X.

‘Drainage System Fails Again’

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Despite paying so much to live in this city, all the money goes down the drain, except for the water after a mild rain. — Om, a commuter

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Delhi is not able to sustain even a little bit of rain without waterlogging. The AAP government used to say that they will turn Delhi into Venice and London, the only thing that resembles Venice is the water throughout the city. — Saksham, a commuter

Traffic was also affected on the Windsor Palace roundabout in front of Ashoka Road due to damage to a sewer pipeline, causing significant delays for commuters. Many took to social media to share their frustration. “The traffic is massive on the Delhi-Meerut expressway near Sarai Kale Khan,” one commuter said on X. Another reported heavy traffic on the stretch from the Wazirabad flyover to the Kashmere Gate ISBT.

Saksham, a commuter, expressed his frustration, saying, “Delhi is not able to sustain even a little bit of rain without waterlogging. Although the AAP government used to say that they will turn Delhi into Venice and London, the only thing that resembles Venice is the water throughout the city and only during monsoon season.”

Aman, a city resident, highlighted the temporary benefits of the rain, stating, “While the rain has reduced the pollution and the air quality has improved, the waterlogged roads still make this city unbearable.”

Waterlogging was reported in several areas, including Sangam Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Devli, Greater Kailash, Kishanganj, ITO and Azadpur.

Although the rain brought relief from the summer heat, it created major issues for commuters during the morning rush on a weekday.

Om, another commuter, echoed similar sentiments: “Despite paying so much to live in this city, all the money goes down the drain, except for the water after a mild rain.”

The rains, which lasted only around 30-40 minutes, nonetheless caused extreme waterlogging in many areas. This incident has once again highlighted the chronic issue of inadequate drainage systems in Delhi, raising questions about the city’s preparedness for the monsoon season.