Water collected in different areas of the city following heavy rains on Thursday, leading to reports of fallen trees and flooded roads. Office workers and pedestrians were seen navigating through rainwater during rush hour in the morning. Persistent waterlogging has been an issue around the Dhaula Kuan flyover and its surrounding roads this year. The area, crucial for connecting New Delhi with south Delhi and Gurgaon, has seen repeated flooding incidents after rain, including on Thursday.
The Public Works Department, responsible for the affected roads, deployed temporary mobile pumps to drain the accumulated rainwater and is looking for permanent solutions to the problem. The situation was no different at the Pul Prahladpur underpass, which commonly gets flooded during heavy rainfall. Traffic near Sarai Kale Khan ISBT on Ring Road was disrupted not only by the flooding but also by breakdowns of some vehicles.
Morning commuters on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road faced challenges due to its poor condition and the waterlogging. A PWD flood control room official mentioned deploying early response teams to manage the situation, resolving most of the 35 reported issues by noon. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi received reports of waterlogging in 16 areas and incidents of fallen trees in 17 locations.
Waterlogging complaints came from various places, including Patel Nagar, RK Puram Sector 4, and Laxmi Nagar, while fallen trees were reported in spots like Mansarovar Garden and East of Kailash. Municipal officials claimed to have activated all control rooms in the 12 zones to address waterlogging on internal colony roads.A heightened state of readiness has been maintained to promptly address complaints. Despite this, residents have continued to report issues with drains not being properly cleared, leading to overflow on colony roads. Nonetheless, Mathura Road, Pragati Maidan, ITO, and Minto Bridge were reported to be free of such problems on Thursday. The Public Works Department (PWD) has constructed a new drain on Purana Qila Road to alleviate flooding concerns. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in Gurgaon caused the Delhi-Gurgaon border at Kapashera to be submerged once again, causing traffic disruptions and inconveniencing residents. The lack of an adequate drainage system and elevated adjacent roads result in waterlogging issues, exacerbated by runoff from areas like Kapashera in Delhi and Dundahera in Gurgaon. The situation is particularly challenging for commuters accessing Udyog Vihar along the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, where numerous businesses are located. Despite these challenges, commuters persevered through the waterlogged sections, with some facing difficulties due to damaged road surfaces. Anil Arora, a commuter from Dwarka to Udyog Vihar, highlighted the dangers posed by navigating such waterlogged areas on a motorcycle.
