A short but intense spell of rain on Tuesday morning led to widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls across several parts of Delhi, disrupting daily life in the national capital. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and strong winds on Wednesday as well.
The rain, though brief, caused significant inconvenience. Key roads such as Press Enclave Road and both carriageways of Anuvrat Marg near Qutub Minar metro station experienced prolonged waterlogging, leading to traffic congestion till noon. Other affected areas included MB Road near Sainik Farms, Saket Metro Station, Mathura Road near Ashram, Rohtak Road, Aurobindo Marg near IIT Delhi, and parts of Najafgarh.
IMD data showed varied rainfall across the city. Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded 8.8mm of rainfall between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. The Ridge in north Delhi logged 22.4mm during the same period and a total of 64.8mm in the past 24 hours. Other significant readings included 22.2mm at Rajghat, 14.2mm at Lodhi Road, and 13.5mm in Pusa.
Although some stretches such as the Sarita Vihar–Badarpur segment of Mathura Road, GT Karnal Road between Mukarba Chowk and Azadpur, and Guru Teg Bahadur Road faced minor waterlogging, officials noted that water receded within about 30 minutes.
The IMD noted that Delhi’s maximum temperature on Tuesday was 32.6°C, two degrees below normal, while the minimum settled at 26°C. Relative humidity levels remained high, ranging from 83% to 100%. So far in July, Delhi has received 136.3mm of rain—well below the average of 209.7mm for the month.
Meanwhile, a political row broke out over the waterlogging. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held the BJP-led Delhi administration responsible, calling the situation a “complete failure” of the four-engine government. “Just 10 minutes of rain brought the city to a halt. Despite BJP controlling NDMC, DDA, PWD, and MCD, nothing moved,” AAP said in a statement.
Countering the allegations, Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood defended the BJP government, blaming a decade of mismanagement and corruption under AAP. “This is not the result of our four-month-old government. It’s the outcome of 10 years of negligence in desilting and drainage maintenance by AAP,” he said, accusing the previous PWD administration of being involved in scams.
As Delhi braces for more rain, the recurring issue of urban flooding has once again become a flashpoint between the two major political parties, with residents caught in the middle.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)