Delhi-NCR rain fury: waterlogging, traffic chaos amid red alert

The Story in Brief

Heavy rain pounded Delhi-NCR on Friday, August 7, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert as waterlogging and traffic jams crippled the evening commute. Safdarjung recorded 59.2 mm of rain by morning, while Faridabad's Sector 17 logged 119.4 mm by evening. South Delhi's Mehrauli-Badarpur Road saw water up to four feet deep, bringing traffic to a standstill. In Noida, an ambulance remained stranded for 30 minutes in a flooded underpass near Mahamaya Flyover, driver Vijay Srivastava told India Today. Gurugram's Civil Hospital suspended basement services after rainwater inundated treatment rooms. The IMD forecast moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms for the next few hours, with light showers expected till August 10. Residents in Valmiki Basti, south Delhi, blamed an incomplete stormwater drain and downstream encroachments for recurring floods, The Economic Times reported.

Commuters faced hours-long delays across arterial roads, ITO, Wazirabad Road, Patel Road, Rohtak Road, and the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. Waterlogging was reported from Dakshinpuri, Okhla, Sangam Vihar, and Sainik Farms. Delhi Fire Services received nine calls for house or partial building collapses and 16 for fallen trees. The Aam Aadmi Party and BJP traded barbs over waterlogged roads on social media.