PTI
New Delhi
Heavy showers in many parts of north India on Monday triggered flight diversion, waterlogging and massive traffic disruption, especially in the Delhi-NCR region, which received the bulk of the rainfall.
Parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh received rains during the day as well.
Traffic snarls were the worst in Gurugram where parents carrying children on their shoulders were seen wading through flooded roads to get to school buses and vehicles were seen stuck on waterlogged roads.
The downpour caused waterlogging in Narsinghpur, Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk and several areas of old Gurugram. Vehicles were stuck in water around Rajiv Chowk, while school buses and ambulances were also caught in waterlogging on Sohna Road.
The district administration said Gurugram received 70 mm of rainfall by 1:30 pm. Key areas including Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Railway Road, Sector 5, Old Delhi Road, Mehrauli Road and Basai Road were heavily affected. Naharpur underpass was also waterlogged.
In Delhi, too, several key stretches, including parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, Mathura Road, Connaught Place, Bhairon Marg, ITO and the Zakhira underpass, were waterlogged.
Waist-deep water, bumper-to-bumper traffic and life brought to a standstill marked the day’s heavy downpour, as gusty winds and showers lashed the national Capital, with a few areas recording almost 67 mm of rain.
Videos shared on social media showed at least a dozen students waded through waist-deep water in Sangam Vihar. Residents in Sadar Bazar were also forced to wade through waist-deep water after rainwater accumulated in the Old Delhi area.
At least 15 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport due to inclement weather conditions. Scores of flights were delayed and some were cancelled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital due to the bad weather. An official said 12 flights were diverted to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow.
Many parts of Uttar Pradesh witnessed light to moderate showers and isolated heavy downpours, disrupting normal life in urban pockets, the meteorological department said.
Monsoon remained normal across Uttar Pradesh over the past 24 hours, it said. In Ghaziabad, heavy spells led to severe waterlogging across major roads and low-lying residential sectors, causing massive traffic congestion.
In a mishap captured on cameras, an auto-rickshaw overturned after hitting a pothole on a waterlogged stretch and passersby rushed to rescue the passengers, who escaped with minor injuries.
According to the local MeT office, thunderstorm activity was recorded at a few places over East Uttar Pradesh and at isolated locations in West Uttar Pradesh during the last 24 hours (ending at 8:30 am).
Heavy rains lashed Jaipur and other parts of eastern Rajasthan, disrupting traffic and causing waterlogging in many places.
Kherthal-Tijara in Alwar district that comes under the National Capital Region (NCR) received heavy rainfall and many areas got flooded with water.
Markets, roads, residential colonies and low-lying areas in Kishangarhbas town was also inundated due to rain.
Jaipur, Alwar, Dholpur, Karauli, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Kherthal-Tijara districts received rains. Cars and two-wheelers were seen wading through the MotiDungri Road in Jaipur which was completely submerged under water.
Light to moderate rain prevailed in parts of Himachal Pradesh, blocking 98 roads for vehicular traffic in the state Monday evening.
As many as 98 roads were closed for vehicular traffic, while 21 power transformers and 21 drinking water supply schemes were also disrupted, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
Mandi reported the highest number of road blockages at 49, followed by Kullu (28), Kangra (8), Shimla, Sirmaur, and Una (4 each), and LahaulSpiti (1).
Light to moderate rains lashed parts of the state in the past 24 hours since Sunday evening.
Heavy rainfall, triggered by a low-pressure system, lashed most parts of Odisha, with eight places receiving more than 100-mm downpour during the past 24 hours, the IMD said.
