Traffic snarls, waterlogging as monsoon hits Delhi

Most parts of the capital reported a fresh spell of rain

As Delhi received its first monsoon showers on Thursday morning, many areas, including newly-inaugurated Pragati Maidan tunnel, ITO, Ring Road, Barapullah Corridor, Delhi-Meerut expressway, Sarai Kale Khan, were waterlogged, causing traffic snarls for hours.

Due to the waterlogging, the traffic police had to shut the Pul Prahladpur underpass for vehicular movement on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road leading to commuter woes.

Not only city areas but border points especially the Delhi-Noida border, Chilla border, UP Gate, Delhi-Gurugram road experienced heavy traffic snarls as rains lashed the national capital on Thursday morning.

Other city areas and roads that witnessed waterlogging include Pragati Maidan tunnel, Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Vinod Nagar, Pul Prahaladpur underpass, Rao Tula Ram flyover, Sadar Bazar, AIIMS underpass, Aurobindo Marg, near Chirag Delhi flyover, Som Bazar Najafgarh, IP Estate in front of WHO building, under Zakhira flyover, Jahangirpuri Metro station, Loni Road roundabout and Azadpur market underpass.

People took to social media and uploaded videos and pictures of waterlogged streets, markets and colonies.

In purported videos of waterlogging, the Rao Tula Ram flyover in south Delhi is seen heavily inundated and vehicles are seen wading through it.

In another picture, a cluster bus is seen stranded with its wheels submerged in an inundated portion of NH-9 (Delhi-Meerut expressway) near west Vinod Nagar.

However, PTI could not independently check the veracity of these videos and pictures.

The Delhi Traffic Police, through a series of tweets, informed commuters about waterlogging and heavy traffic on key stretches.

“In South District, the following stretches are heavy and may be avoided. Aurobindo marg from IIT to Adhchini both carriageways. MB road from Khanpur T-Point to Tughlak fort both carriageways. Outer Ring Road from Chiragh Delhi to Savitri Flyover,” Delhi traffic police said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the traffic police informed commuters that vehicular movement is affected on Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Setu (Barapullah corridor) in the carriageways going from Lodhi Underpass and AIIMS towards Sarai Kale Khan and DND due to waterlogging.

“Movement of traffic has been restricted at Railway underpass Pul Prahladpur. Both the carriageways are closed due to waterlogging,” the traffic police said in a series of tweets.

The newly inaugurated Pragati Maidan tunnel also reported waterlogging on Thursday morning belying PWD's claims that the facility is equipped with modern features to avoid water accumulation there.

Traffic moved at a slow pace due to waterlogging in the tunnel, which connects India Gate with the Ring Road.

Though the monsoon rains provided respite from the oppressive heat, woes began for commuters as they battled traffic snarls and waterlogging.

A commuter Archana Bagga, an officer in a bank, said she reached her office near Central Secretariat one-and-half-hour from her home in Noida.

“Today the traffic was quite heavy compared to other days. The major traffic logjams were at the Noida-Delhi border, the Delhi-Meerut expressway, and Pragati Maidan tunnel near India Gate. It takes me 45-50 minutes to reach my office, but today, I reached there in one-and-half-hour,” Bagga told PTI.

Another commuter Rohit Sethi also narrated a similar tale and said that he was stuck for around 15-20 minutes at the Delhi-Meerut expressway due to heavy traffic.

“The traffic jam was because of waterlogging on the expressway and also on surrounding stretches like the Ring Road, Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan tunnel. It was a nightmarish experience today,” Sethi said.

Earlier this month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said the Delhi government is ready to combat waterlogging on a war footing and it is focussing on solving the problem with micro planning.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has set up a Central Control Room from where 10 critical waterlogging sites in Delhi are being monitored 24X7 through CCTV cameras.