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Heavy rains lashed parts of Delhi-NCR for the second consecutive day on Friday, causing waterlogging, traffic jams, rain-related accidents, casualties, and injuries that prompted the government to take measures to tackle the situation.
The Delhi government held an emergency meeting in view of heavy rains and waterlogging at the Delhi Secretariat earlier in the day. Following the meeting, Delhi Minister Atishi said that an emergency meeting was attended by all senior officials of the government and several important decisions were taken. Atishi said that the Delhi government has identified 200 hotspots that are prone to waterlogging. She said that the reason behind waterlogging is excessive rainfall, which exceeds the capacity of drains. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that several decisions were taken in the meeting to tackle water logging in the national capital. Earlier in the day, Bharadwaj shared that the national capital last received so much rain in 1936. Meanwhile, two children who had left their homes to play in rainwater drowned after falling in a deep rainwater ditch in the New Usmanpur area of Delhi on Friday, police said. The deceased were aged 8 and 10 years old and were residents of Som Bazaar, Gamri, in the New Usmanpur area. As per the official, the two boys had gone there to play in rainwater when the incident happened. In another incident, after heavy rain lashed the national capital, creating traffic snarls and roadblocks, a few labourers were trapped when an under-construction wall collapsed in the Vasant Vihar area. Preliminary reports indicated that the collapse was intensified by the heavy rainfall, which also resulted in two trees falling into the basement pit where temporary huts for labourers were situated. The exact number of casualties remains unclear, but it is reported that Dayaram, a labourer, and two other individuals were suspected to be trapped in the mud and debris. Earlier today, a portion of a canopy at a departure terminal at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed amid heavy rainfall in Delhi. The incident occurred when Delhi-NCR was hit by a spell of heavy rains on Friday. All flight operations from Terminal 1 are suspended until further notice, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an official statement. "Heavy rain in the early morning today has resulted in the collapse of the canopy of Delhi Airport Terminal 1. As a result of which flights to and from Terminal 1 have been closed until further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for the smooth operation of the flights," read the statement from the ministry. Various regions of Delhi-NCR were spotted by intense waterlogging issues. Visuals showed that the Govindpuri area of South Delhi and Noida Sector 95 engulfed in water logging. Concerning the heavy showers, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena also convened an emergency meeting of all the concerned agencies of the Delhi government. The meeting was conducted to review the situation arising in the city due to waterlogging, overflow of unsilted drains, and the backflow of clogged sewer lines in the wake of the pre-monsoon rains in city. The LG took serious note of the lack of preparedness for the emergency response system in the eventuality of excessive rainfall and resultant water logging across the city. He further stated in the meeting that the desilting works had not been completed and the Flood Control Order had not been issued. Earlier today, people waded through the waterlogged streets in several parts of the city and BJP councillor Ravinder Singh Negi was seen rowing an inflatable boat on the NH9 road as a symbolic protest against the AAP government. Several areas of Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram experienced heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on Friday. Waterlogging and heavy traffic jams were some of the significant issues citizens are facing. Potters in the Paharganj area suffered significant losses as the rain washed away or damaged their clay products. Laxmi Devi, a 70-year-old potter, who has been selling clay products for over 30 years, told ANI that she suffered significant losses when her products broke and were washed away at night. She added that she is unable to estimate the losses and will not be able to compensate for them. Although the rain has provided relief from the scorching heat, visuals of heavy traffic jams and waterlogged streets emerged from several areas, including Sarita Vihar, Connaught Place, Palam Airport, and Dhaula Kuan. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the Safdarjung observatory in the city recorded 228 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am today. According to statistics, it marks the second-highest 24-hour rainfall in the month of June, after 235.55 mm on June 28, 1936. (ANI)
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