NEW DELHI: The roads of the national capital on Wednesday turned into rivers and the flyovers into waterfalls thanks to incessant rains that have been lashing the city since Tuesday. Several parts of Delhi, including iconic Connaught Place, got inundated.
Heavy waterlogging led to huge traffic jams while pedestrians were seen crossing the roads in knee-deep waters. Popular markets like CP, Janpath, Sadar Bazar and Chandini Chowk were flooded and shopkeepers were seen draining out water with buckets.
An angered public took to social media and posted pictures of their houses filled with water. “Last time rain waters entered our shops in 2010 during the Commonwealth Games when construction was undergoing. After that, only now we have witnessed flooding of our shops and this clearly shows the work done by PWD and MCD,” said a shopkeeper at CP.
Several low lying areas like Munirka, R K Puram, Punjabi Extension, Sultanpur Village, Qutub Institutional area, Safdurjung development area, and even posh colonies like Vasant Vihar and Pancheel Park were flooded.
According to Delhi Traffic Police, between 6.29 am to 12.15 am, it received 45 waterlogging complaints at key routes such as Lajpat Nagar flyover, Paharganj cut Filmistan, Kashmere Gate Metro Station, ITO WHO building, Shantioath, Chanakya puri, Moti Bagh to Rail Musuem, ITO to Tilak Marg, Ring Road, SPM to 11 Murti and Pul Prahaladpur underpass.
At Barapullah flyover, heavy traffic jam extending to more than one kilometre was witnessed and an ambulance also got stuck as about 30 people of the adjacent slum blocked the traffic after their shelters were flooded. “The blockade was removed and they were advised to approach the proper forum for redressal,” said the DCP (South).