Despite No Rain Alert, Delhi Sees Heavy Waterlogging And Traffic Snarls

It was another slow start to the day in Delhi on Wednesday, as early morning showers once again brought the capital’s fragile infrastructure to its knees. While the rain wasn’t extraordinary in volume, its impact was unmistakable. From flooded classrooms to immobilised traffic, the city’s daily rhythm was thoroughly upended for the second day in a row.

Delhi Sees Waterlogging On Day 2 Of Heavy Rains

According to the Hindustan Times, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that this pattern isn’t over yet. While no official alert is in place for Thursday, light to moderate rainfall is expected to continue. There may be a slight let-up starting Friday, but patchy rain is likely to linger over the weekend. 

In terms of rainfall, the city’s main weather station at Safdarjung logged 14.4mm in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am. Pragati Maidan recorded the highest amount of rainfall with 38.9mm, followed by Ridge (32.8mm), Pusa (23.5mm), Lodhi Road (20.6mm), Janakpuri (18.5mm), Najafgarh (13mm), and Palam with a mere 1.9mm. By 5:30 pm, Safdarjung added another 9.3mm, pushing its July total to 151.2mm. To provide context, Delhi saw 203.7mm last July and a massive 384.6mm in July 2023.

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Areas Most Affected By Delhi Rains

By mid-morning, the Public Works Department had received at least 15 complaints of waterlogging. Areas such as Keshavpuram, Seelampur, Vinod Nagar, Anand Parbat Road, and under the Zakhira flyover were flooded, choking traffic during peak office hours. Even parts of New Friends Colony and Maharani Bagh saw knee-deep water, making some inner roads impassable.

Commuters on MB Road near Sainik Farm, Saket metro station, Najafgarh, Rohtak Road, and Anuvrat Marg near Qutub Minar found themselves stuck for long stretches. Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, GT Karnal Road, and GTB Road too saw partial flooding, Hindustan Times reported. In Janakpuri, a section of Joginder Singh Marg collapsed entirely, forcing authorities to barricade the site. The worst, however, may have been inside the premises of Nagar Nigam Balika Vidyalaya, an MCD-run school, where a classroom was flooded. With no drainage in sight, the campus looked more like a flooded street than a functioning school.

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Delhi’s AQI In Control

The rain did pull the mercury down: the maximum temperature stood at 30.8°C, which is four degrees below normal, while the minimum was 25.6°C. The air, too, was cleaner, with the AQI reading at 67, a rare “satisfactory” badge in a city more familiar with “severe.”

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, too, pointed towards the possibility of cleaner skies. He said that Delhi is all set for its cleanest July in 2025, citing an average AQI of 67 and noting that the city has already logged 118 days of “good to moderate” air quality this year, inching close to the 120-day mark achieved in all of 2024.

For now, as Delhi slogs through flooded roads and dodges potholes disguised as puddles, residents are less concerned with AQI scores and more with just getting to work without being drenched to their knees. 

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