No Sunday offs for govt babus, CM Kejriwal orders fieldwork as heavy rains continue

Amid relentless downpour in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken decisive action by revoking the Sunday leave for all government officials and directing them to be actively engaged in fieldwork.

Additionally, he has instructed Delhi Cabinet ministers and Mayor Shelly Oberoi to personally assess the areas affected by the rain-induced problems in the city.

Kejriwal, in a Hindi tweet, expressed concern over the situation, stating that Delhi had received a staggering 126 mm of rainfall the previous day. Astonishingly, this accounted for 15% of the total monsoon rainfall that Delhi usually receives, all within a mere 12-hour span. The Chief Minister emphasized that the citizens had been severely impacted by the waterlogging.

He further announced that all ministers and the mayor would conduct thorough inspections of the affected areas. Directives were issued to all government officials, mandating their presence in the field and canceling their scheduled Sunday off.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Delhi witnessed a remarkable downpour of 153 mm within a 24-hour period, ending at 8:30 am on Sunday. This rainfall measurement stands as the highest recorded in a single day in July since 1982. The heavy precipitation can be attributed to the convergence of a western disturbance and monsoonal winds, resulting in an intensified spell of rain across northwest India, including Delhi.

An official from the Indian Meteorological Department stated that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, documented the extraordinary rainfall. Notably, this 153 mm measurement ranks as the third-highest for a single day in July since 1958.

(With PTI inputs)