NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed Delhi-NCR on Monday, leaving several parts of the region waterlogged, traffic crawling on key roads and flight operations disrupted, as the weather office issued alerts for the national Capital.In Gurgaon, authorities issued a work-from-home advisory for August 25 following heavy rainfall and concerns over waterlogging and traffic congestion.The District Disaster Management Authority, Gurgaon, in an advisory dated August 24, said there were chances of waterlogging and traffic congestion in the district following heavy rainfall.It advised all corporate offices and government and private schools/institutions in the district to guide their employees/staff to work from home on August 25.The advisory said the move was aimed at avoiding traffic congestion and allowing civic agencies to carry out road and drain repair works smoothly.It also asked officials to ensure necessary action and publicity of the advisory.
Gurgaon flooded after heavy rain
Gurgaon was inundated after around an hour of heavy rainfall on Monday, with waterlogging reported in several parts of the city and traffic movement slowing on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and key roads.The district administration said Gurgaon received 70mm of rainfall by 1:30pm, news agency PTI reported.Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road were among the affected areas.Naharpur underpass was also waterlogged.Vehicles were stuck in water around Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were caught in waterlogging on Sohna Road.Waterlogging in old Gurgaon, including Sadar Bazar, Gurdwara Road and Old Delhi Road, led to traffic jams till afternoon.A senior traffic police officer said vehicular movement was choked near the Sirhaul border, Rajiv Chowk, Narsinghpur and some other locations.Traffic police personnel were deployed to manage the situation, PTI reported.A large section of the expressway near Cyber Hub, opposite Gateway Tower Metro station, was submerged.Sheetla Mata Road, which has emerged as one of Gurgaon’s flood-prone locations this monsoon, was among the worst affected.The latest WFH advisory comes against the backdrop of repeated rain-related traffic disruptions in Gurgaon this month.Heavy rainfall had flooded several stretches, submerged underpasses and prompted authorities to ask offices to allow employees to work from home.
Delhi sees waterlogging, traffic snarls
In Delhi, waist-deep water, bumper-to-bumper traffic and disrupted movement marked Monday’s downpour.Several key stretches, including parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, Mathura Road, Connaught Place, Bhairon Marg, ITO and the Zakhira underpass, were waterlogged, PTI reported.Videos showed students wading through waist-deep water in Sangam Vihar, while residents in Sadar Bazar were forced to navigate flooded streets.Roads in the Kamla Nagar market area were also submerged.According to data available till 1.15pm, Janakpuri recorded 67mm of rain, followed by Chhatarpur at 57mm, Pitampura at 35mm and Safdarjung at 29mm.Commuters reported heavy traffic near Sarai Kale Khan, Mathura Road and the Dwarka Expressway.Water accumulation was also reported around Bishambar Das Marg, Parliament Street, Bhairon Marg, ITO, Mathura Road, Connaught Place, New Ashok Nagar Metro Station, Burari, CR Park, Alaknanda, Sangam Vihar and Bhalswa.Between 8.30am and 11.30am, Chhatarpur recorded the highest rainfall in Delhi at 28mm, followed by Lodi Road at 24.6mm and Pitampura at 18.5mm, according to the IMD.The Ridge recorded 5mm, Mayur Vihar 1.5mm, Safdarjung 1mm and Ayanagar 0.1mm during the period.
15 Delhi-bound flights diverted
The rain also disrupted flight operations, with 15 Delhi-bound flights diverted, including two international flights. Eleven flights were diverted to Jaipur.Air India advised passengers travelling to and from Delhi to check their flight status before heading to the airport, while IndiGo also issued a travel advisory, saying bad weather had affected flight schedules.
Orange alert for Delhi
Giving the weather forecast, IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava said,” ‘Orange’ alert for light to moderate rain to isolated heavy rainfall activity has been issued for Delhi today. Heavy to very heavy rain alert has been issued in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the next 24 hours, in view of a low-pressure formation in Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand.”The weather office also warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Alerts had been issued for heavy to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and winds of up to 40kmph.According to the IMD’s broader forecast, rain and thunderstorm activity is expected to continue across several parts of the country on August 25, with intense rainfall likely in some areas.
Civic teams deployed in Gurgaon
Municipal Corporation officials remained active on the ground during the rainfall.Municipal commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and additional municipal commissioner Yash Jaluka inspected waterlogging-prone areas along with officials from the Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority, National Highways Authority of India and Municipal Corporation.Dahiya directed officials to keep pumping arrangements active in waterlogged areas and ensure teams reach sites immediately after receiving reports of waterlogging and drain the accumulated water.The August 25 WFH advisory is intended to reduce the number of vehicles on already congested roads while civic agencies undertake repair and drainage work following Monday’s rain.(With agency inputs)
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