Monsoon hits Delhi with traffic snarls and waterlogging

The traffic police had to close Pul Prahladpur underpass for vehicular movement on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road due to waterlogging, causing distress to commuters.

Not only city areas but border points, particularly Delhi-Noida border, Chilla border, UP Gate and Delhi-Gurugram road experienced heavy traffic snarls as rains lashed the national capital on Thursday morning.

Other city areas and roads that witnessed waterlogging were Pragati Maidan tunnel, Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Vinod Nagar, Pul Prahaladpur underpass, Rao Tula Ram flyover, Sadar Bazar, AIIMS underpass, Aurobindo Marg, near Chirag Delhi flyover, Som Bazar Najafgarh, IP Estate in front of WHO building, under Zakhira flyover, Jahangirpuri Metro station, Loni Road roundabout and Azadpur market underpass.

People uploaded videos and pictures of waterlogged streets, markets and colonies on social media.

In purported videos of waterlogging, Rao Tula Ram flyover in south Delhi is seen heavily inundated and vehicles are seen wading through it.

In another picture, a cluster bus is seen stranded with its wheels submerged in an inundated portion of NH-9 (Delhi-Meerut expressway) near west Vinod Nagar.

The Delhi Traffic Police also took to Twitter to inform commuters about waterlogging and heavy traffic on key stretches.

The newly inaugurated Pragati Maidan tunnel also reported waterlogging on Thursday morning belying PWD’s claims that the facility is equipped with modern features to avoid water accumulation there.

Traffic moved at a slow pace due to waterlogging in the tunnel, which connects India Gate with the Ring Road.

Though the monsoon rains provided respite from the oppressive heat, commuters were distressed as they struggled with traffic snarls and waterlogging.

Archana Bagga, a commuter, says that she reached her office near Central Secretariat one-and-half-hour from her home in Noida.

Today the traffic was quite heavy compared to other days. The major traffic logjams were at Noida-Delhi border, Delhi-Meerut expressway, Pragati Maidan tunnel near India Gate. It takes me 45-50 minutes to reach my office, but today, I reached there in one-and-half-hour, she tells PTI.

Another commuter Rohit Sethi also narrates a similar tale and says that due to heavy traffic, he was stuck for around 15-20 minutes at Delhi-Meerut expressway.

Sethi states that the traffic jam was because of waterlogging on the expressway and also on surrounding stretches like the Ring Road, Bhairon Marg and Pragati Maidan tunnel. It was a nightmarish experience today.

Earlier this month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said the Delhi government is ready to combat waterlogging on a war footing and is focussed on solving the problem with micro planning.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has established a Central Control Room from where 10 critical waterlogging sites in the capital are being monitored 24X7 through CCTV cameras.

 

(With inputs from PTI)

 

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