NEW DELHI: The highest rainfall in 46 years led to traffic snarls and waterlogging in several areas, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport, where the entrance to the Terminal 3 building and parts of the runway were flooded early on Saturday morning, September 11, 2021.
The city received more than 1,100 mm of rainfall and almost double the precipitation recorded last year, the India Meteorological Department said. The figures are likely to change as more rainfall is predicted later. Several videos posted on social media sites showed an inundated Terminal 3, inconveniencing fliers. One video taken from a car showed a flooded road in front Aerocity where several high end hotels are located.
Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter that he spoke to airport officials and “was told that the waterlogged forecourt was cleared up within 30 minutes.” The Airports Authority of India also tweeted photos and videos with the water removed, stating that “due to heavy downpour passengers encountered waterlogging for a short while. The on-ground team was immediately mobilised and the operations are back to normal since 9 am.”
As the forecourt of the Delhi airport was waterlogged, three flights were cancelled and five diverted to Jaipur and Ahmedabad. “Delhi has been witnessing record-breaking rains since last evening. This morning, due to sudden extremely high downpour, the forecourt of Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport saw some water logging, which cleared within a few minutes,” the Delhi International Airport Limited said in a statement.
“This drainage system from T3 to Najafgarh drain requires widening. DIAL has been working with state and central government bodies and officials for the past few years requesting to widen this underground drainage system. Several discussions in this matter have already taken place. We hope the drainage system would be widened soon,” a DIAL spokesperson said.
“The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, had gauged 1,150 mm of rainfall in the 1975 monsoon season. This year, the precipitation has already hit the 1,100-mm mark and the season has not ended yet,” an IMD official said. Normally, Delhi records 648.9 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season, according to the IMD. In 2003, the national capital had received 1,050 mm of rainfall. The monsoon withdraws from Delhi by September 25.
