Delhi experienced its heaviest rainfall for a July day in 21 years, causing chaos on the streets. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert, and the Delhi Traffic Police reported waterlogging at 56 locations and fallen trees blocking several stretches. The heavy rain was a result of monsoon winds interacting with a western disturbance. The city's lack of preparedness for the monsoon season is concerning, especially as it aims to become a world-class city. More rain is expected in the coming days.
The Capital received its heaviest deluge for a July day in 21 years on Saturday when 126.1mm of rain was recorded between 8.30am and 5.30pm, bringing chaos to the Capital’s streets and prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert in the afternoon. The Delhi Traffic Police issued a situation alert at 3.30pm saying there was waterlogging at 56 locations that disrupted traffic, fallen trees that partially or completely blocked seven stretches, and major underpasses and low-lying stretches, such as under the Minto Bridge, the Pragati Maidan tunnel and the Kalindi Kunj underpass were flooded.
Saturday’s rain --- classified in the ‘very heavy’ category --- was the consequence of monsoon winds interacting with a western disturbance, IMD officials said, which triggered precipitation across much of north-west India.“If a 24-hour period was considered, then this is the highest single day rainfall at Safdarjung in July since 133.4mm was recorded on July 10, 2003. With Saturday’s rain coming in just nine hours, it is possible that even this figure gets eclipsed by 8:30 am on Sunday morning,” said a Met department official. IMD’s 24-hour period is from 8:30 am until 8:30 am the next day and the IMD says more rain is likely in early hours of Sunday and overnight.
The chaos the rain led to in the Capital serves as a worrying reminder of the city’s lack of preparedness to tackle the monsoon. The lack is particularly stark as it comes at a time when authorities and agencies are focused on decking Delhi up for the G20 summit due in September. That the situation was not worse for citizens on Saturday was only due to it being a weekend. Delhi needs its civic infrastructure and maintenance to justify its ambition of becoming a world class city.
Safdarjung, representative of Delhi’s weather, had recorded 3.4mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period till 8:30 am on Saturday morning. In the next nine hours, however, it received 126.1mm of rain. The most rain across Delhi was seen at the Ridge station in north Delhi, where 128mm was recorded in these nine hours, while while Lodhi road recorded 118.2mm. The stations of Delhi University (86mm), Pitampura (83mm) and Pusa (67.5mm) received ‘heavy rain, while moderate spells of 29.6mm at Ayanagar and 17.8mm at Palam were also recorded during this period.
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