Rain brings respite from heat, leads to traffic snarls in Delhi 

New Delhi

A fresh spell of heavy rain lashed Delhi on Tuesday, breaking the streak of unusually high temperatures and bringing much-needed relief to residents.

However, the downpour also led to waterlogging in several areas, traffic chaos, and political sparring over the city’s civic preparedness.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, recorded 37.8 mm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Ayanagar and the Ridge received heavier downpours at 72.6 mm and 52.9 mm respectively. The rain came just days after the official withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon on September 24.

An IMD official attributed the showers to a well-marked low-pressure system over the Gulf of Kutch. “One trough from this system extends eastwards to south-east Uttar Pradesh, while another runs northwards towards north-west Rajasthan. Together, they are acting as atmospheric highways, pulling in moisture from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,” the official explained. 
The city, reeling under a post-monsoon heat spike, saw temperatures soar to 38.1°C on Monday, five degrees above normal. The maximum temperature settled at 34.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. This monsoon season, Delhi received over 900 mm of rain, which is 41% above normal.

Traffic diversion

The Delhi Traffic Police issued advisories urging commuters to avoid waterlogged routes. Traffic from Shastri Nagar and KD Chowk was diverted towards Chaudhary Nahar Singh Marg and vehicles from Chaudhary Nahar Singh Marg were rerouted towards KD Chowk. Diversions were also enforced near Inderlok Chowk. The Zakhira Railway Underpass on Road No. 40 was waterlogged, which slowed movement in the surrounding areas.

The rain also sparked the political blame game. “Every spell of rain this year has brought heavy waterlogging because the BJP government failed to act. Instead, it indulged in scams worth crores in the name of desilting, and now Delhiites are paying the price,” Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged.

He also said the BJP has resisted third-party audits of desilting, despite court orders. “What does the government want to hide by not allowing a third-party audit of desilting?” he said.