NEW DELHI: The Pragati Maidan tunnel was reopened for traffic on Monday, four days after it was closed down due to waterlogging following the heavy rains which lashed the national capital on June 28.
Public Works Department (PWD) officials said traffic movement in the tunnel resumed after its was reopened for public use on Monday, adding that the accumulated water has been drained and the tunnel cleaned. Meanwhile the IMD has predicted heavy rains for the next two days
The Pragati Maidan tunnel had been shut for public since June 28 after it was waterlogged due to what experts termed as “extraordinary amount of rainfall” on June 28, which brought the city to its knees.
PWD officials said the department received over 200 calls reporting waterlogging in multiple areas across the city.
Officials added that the accumulated water was drained from the Minto bridge underpass and several other parts of the city after few hours.
Not cloudburst, IMD clarifies
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday clarified that the torrential rain that brought the national capital to a crawl last Friday was not a result of a cloudburst. Addressing a press conference, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the Safdarjung Observatory, the city’s primary weather station, recorded 91 mm rainfall between 5 am and 6 am on June 28, thus indicating the “extreme” rainfall on Friday was not a cloudburst.
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued an “orange” alert in Delhi for the next two days even as the city did not receive rains on Monday despite forecasts of heavy showers. IMD also released an advisory for the rainfall, outlining expected impact.