Incessant rainfall battered Delhi-NCR, causing severe waterlogging and traffic paralysis. Safdarjung Hospital was flooded, creating chaos for patients. House collapses and fallen trees were reported, while the IMD has issued alerts for more rain.
As the first light of dawn struggled to pierce a leaden sky, the heavens over the National Capital Region did not merely open; they surrendered. What began as a rhythmic pitter-patter soon transformed into a relentless, silver onslaught that continued the whole day stretching into the night. The rain turned roads into mirrors, reflecting the flashing red tail-lights of hundreds of vehicles caught in a watery deadlock. The familiar hum of the city was replaced by the splashing of tyres and the rhythmic thrum of wipers battling an invisible tide.
Chaos at Safdarjung Hospital Amid Flooding
Waterlogging following incessant rainfall in New Delhi caused inconvenience to patients and attendants at Safdarjung Hospital on Friday, with rainwater entering parts of the hospital premises and forcing people to wade through knee-deep water.
Arif Khan, an attendant of a patient at the hospital, described the chaos caused by the flooding. "We have been facing a lot of trouble since morning; water has been everywhere since then. We've been drenched since the morning, and a large part of the hospital- a very long stretch on all sides- is filled with water," he told ANI.
Khan said the hospital's gallery and the area towards the SSB building were also flooded, forcing attendants to repeatedly carry patients through the water. "Repeatedly moving the patient back and forth is causing a lot of difficulties - on a stretcher, sometimes pulling by foot, sometimes carrying the patient in our arms - it's necessary to carry them a long way from all sides," he said, adding that the water was at least knee-deep and that the hospital administration should look into the issue. He further said the paths from the back were closed due to the waterlogging, with excess water accumulating near the Super Speciality Block (SSB) building.
NSG Conducts Mock Drills Amidst Downpour
Amid the waterlogging across the national capital, the National Security Guard (NSG), in close coordination with the Delhi Police, is conducting a mock anti-terror exercise at more than a dozen locations, including Safdarjung Hospital, Connaught Place and key government premises, across Delhi ahead of Independence Day.
City-Wide Disruption and Damage
The waterlogging was not limited to Safdarjung Hospital, with several other parts of Delhi-NCR also battling the effects of heavy rain. In Sangam Vihar, residents watched as their streets vanished beneath a muddy expanse of water. Similar scenes played out in Chhatarpur Farm, where the heavy rainfall today submerged pathways and stalled the day's rhythm.
Visuals showed rain lashing Kasturba Gandhi Marg, the Delhi Secretariat and Connaught Place while severe waterlogging was reported at the Kapashera border, near UER-2 in Najafgarh, and in the Sainik Farms area, disrupting the movement of vehicles.
The Delhi Fire Service reported a night and morning of desperate struggle. "Rain has been lashing Delhi since morning; the fire department has received calls regarding nine house collapses since late last night," an official stated. Additionally, the fire department said it had received calls about 16 trees falling across various parts of Delhi. In one In one harrowing tree-fall incident, three women were trapped inside a house but were subsequently rescued with the help of the fire department.
Traffic Grinds to a Halt Across NCR
Beyond the city limits, the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway became a test of patience for thousands, as traffic crawled through the NCR's watery embrace. Meanwhile, in Faridabad, Sector 35 witnessed waterlogging following heavy rainfall. Traffic jams were also seen on the Delhi-Jaipur Road in Gurugram.
At the Mahipalpur flyover in Delhi, commuters faced difficulties after waterlogging disrupted traffic. A Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus driver, Pradeep Kumar, who operates the route between Kapashera and the Badarpur border, said his bus broke down after being caught in the flooding in Mahipalpur
"My vehicle broke down here in Mahipalpur due to the water. The area is flooded," he said, adding that two to three other buses had also broken down on the way after water entered them. Kumar said passengers on his bus had to find alternate autos or buses after the breakdown.
Asked whether Mahipalpur regularly floods during the monsoon, he said, "It floods during rains, but not this much. Today is excessive; the water isn't draining at all. The entire road is submerged." He also questioned the effectiveness of pumps installed in the area, saying, "How much water can the pumps really pull? Even if they pull water and drain it, it just comes back from the other side. There needs to be a proper place for the water to drain."
Government Responds to Waterlogging Crisis
Addressing the reports of widespread waterlogging, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma attributed the disruptions to ongoing developmental works. "There are many places in Delhi where our projects, such as the construction of new drains and other infrastructure works, are currently underway. Naturally, wherever such work is in progress, these kinds of issues will arise," he stated.
Verma further countered the narrative of the opposition, claiming that the videos being circulated do not reflect current failures but rather highlight a decade of historical neglect. He asserted that the government's efforts have begun to show results, noting, "In contrast, the people of Delhi acknowledge that despite the heavy rainfall, water is not accumulating at the major hotspots that used to be prone to waterlogging."
A Different Scene at Kartavya Path
Meanwhile, Kartavya Path presented a different picture. The rain was not an adversary but a painter, washing the grand vista in hues of deep emerald and slate. Defying the deluge, people were seen thronging the iconic stretch, umbrellas in hand, seeking solace in the sudden coolness. It seemed, that for them the joy of the monsoon outweighed the chaos of the commute.
IMD Forecasts More Rain, Issues Alerts
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in Delhi, with an alert issued due to continued rain activity. The India Meteorological Department issued a brief Red Alert followed by active orange and yellow warnings. The Safdarjung observatory, the city's base weather station, recorded a significant 57.3 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours around 7.30 pm today. Pushp Vihar recorded 111.5 mm followed by Chhatarpur 104.5 mm, Ayanagar 87.4 mm Palam 73.5 mm, Janakpuri 68.0 mm and Pusa observatory recorded 59.5 mm of rainfall.
IMD scientist Ankit said, "In Delhi, moderate rainfall was recorded yesterday. Today, there is a likelihood of moderate to heavy rainfall, and an alert has been issued in view of this."
"Regarding tomorrow, a slight reduction in rainfall activity is expected, with light rainfall likely over Delhi for the next two days. The rain is continuing at present, but we anticipate a gradual decrease, with light rainfall expected from tomorrow," he added.
Ankit further said a yellow alert had been issued for isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh and parts of the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while an orange alert was issued for parts of East Rajasthan due to the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall. He added that a low-pressure area was likely to form over East India within the next 24 hours, expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall to Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha.
"Rainfall in Delhi on the 8th and 9th is likely to remain in the 'light' category. After that, it is expected to range from 'very light' to 'light'," he added. The weather office has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall during the forenoon and afternoon, followed by very light to light rainfall during the evening and night. (ANI)
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