Heavy rain in Delhi-NCR triggers waterlogging, traffic chaos; flight disruptions for 2nd day

New Delhi

Heavy rain lashed several parts of the national capital on Tuesday, leading to widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion and disruptions to flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Waterlogging was reported from several key areas, including Kushak Road, Rajokri village, ITO, Copernicus Marg, Connaught Place and Rajaji Marg.

Commuters faced significant inconvenience as rainwater accumulated on roads, slowing traffic movement across the city. Several other prominent locations, including areas near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, AIIMS, Ashoka Road and the Supreme Court, also witnessed waterlogging. Near AIIMS, intense rainfall caused severe waterlogging at a flyover loop, resulting in slow-moving traffic and long queues of vehicles. According to flight tracking platform Flightradar24, at least 18 flights were cancelled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, while 146 services were delayed due to the adverse weather conditions. The fresh spell of rain came a day after heavy showers brought several parts of Delhi-NCR to a near standstill. On Monday, major roads and low-lying areas across Delhi, as well as parts of Gurugram and Noida, witnessed severe waterlogging, leaving commuters stranded in prolonged traffic jams.

Flight operations were also severely affected on Monday, with 26 flights cancelled, 15 diverted to other cities and more than 390 delayed amid heavy rain. The intense showers have also pushed Delhi’s rainfall figures above normal at several weather observatories. Till August 24, Safdarjung recorded 246.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 191.1 mm, an excess of 29 per cent. Palam received 227.2 mm, 28 per cent above normal, while Lodi Road recorded 233.2 mm, an excess of 22 per cent. The Ridge observatory recorded 243 mm of rainfall, which was 50 per cent above normal, while Ayanagar received 266.3 mm, an excess of 66 per cent over its normal rainfall. Meanwhile, after Monday’s heavy downpour, the District Disaster Management Authority directed corporate offices, government departments and private educational institutions across Gurugram to switch to work-from-home and remote learning modes on Tuesday. The decision came amid concerns that further rain could disrupt commuting routes and severely affect traffic movement on Gurugram’s major arterial roads.